


There Once Was A Bitty

by xxreaperxx94



Category: Bittybones AU - Fandom, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, BittyBones, Eventual Smut, Eventual violence/gore, F/M, Fluff, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, This is not a reader POV, bitty - Freeform, bittybones au, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 07:27:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15480645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxreaperxx94/pseuds/xxreaperxx94
Summary: Bitties were a relatively new topic in Mallory's life. She'd never seen much of them except passing the occasional person that had one. When Mal's friend Prue decides they need to check out a new pet store there is little she can do to resist. She needed companionship, they needed to escape their cage. Little did she know that saving them would result in both changing her life and putting herself and her loved ones in danger. She'd do anything to protect them. They'd do anything to save her.





	1. We're off to see the bitty!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for my absence, but I am alive! And with a new story! Shitty title is shitty, and shittier summary is shittier! Let me know what you think!

Mallory huffed in frustration as she struggled to jiggle her keys into the lock of the glass door to the small bakery. It was small, but it was plenty well off. At least enough that you’d think they could afford a decent set of keys that wouldn’t get stuck every time you used them. With another small jiggle the key finally turned smoothly and allowed her to open the door. As she walked in, she smiled fondly at the worn tiles and molding of the lobby. The odd combination of pale green grey used to throw her off whenever she was it, but now it was oddly comforting to see every morning. She’d only worked here for a few years, but it was small and had only a few staff members other than herself. At first Mallory had only applied and wanted to work here for a short time, enough to scrape by for a decent apartment so she could work on the book she was trying to get published. She’d fallen in love with the place and the people in it so quickly, however, that now she was hesitant to leave at all. With one last glance around, the brunette strode behind the counter and started up the ovens. Her regulars would have a fit if their goods weren’t hot and ready by the time she unlocked the doors. 

~*~

“Thank you very much and have a great day!”

Mallory greeted each customer and waved to them as she left. Swanson’s Bakery was nested on the far side of town, so not many people knew about it without the assistance of a quick internet search or unless they lived in the area. Many of the people she saw on a day to day basis were regulars but occasionally she would see a new face. 

“There’s my girl!”

Mallory jumped as a hand was slapped onto the gray counter in front of her. The smirking blonde snorted at her reaction, making sure to pull her hand back a safe distance from any possible retaliation.

“What, are you off in lala land or something?” She chuckled.

Mallory rolled her eyes, turning to grab a blueberry muffin she knew her friend was about to order. “Very funny, Prue. If you must know, I was in the middle of a lovey daydream. One that you have officially ruined with your presence.”

The blonde’s mouth gaped, holding her hand over her chest while leaning dramatically onto the counter. “You hurt me so! Is that any way to treat a friend who comes bearing gifts?”

This caught Mal’s attention. With a sigh, she wiggled the small pastry in front of Prue’s face, enticing her friend in the only way you could. With food. Her green eyes snapped open and Mallory squeaked in surprise when pale hands snatched the treat away before she could react.

“You are forgiven!”

The brunette shook her head and smiled fondly, leaning forward on her elbows, “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you had classes today.”

Prue shook her head vehemently, cheeks puffed from stuffing half of the whole muffin in her mouth. “Nope! Classes were cancelled for the afternoon. Something about the professor’s wife going into labor this morning.”

Blue eyes widened fractionally. “Wow. That’s definitely worth cancelling class.”

“Not the point, though. I figured you were getting off work soon and I wanted to go check out the mall. I was hoping my dear sweet friend would do me the honor of coming too so I don’t have to go alone like a weirdo.”

Mallory leaned back and glanced at the wall clock. She usually got off work at around 2, and it was already 1:50. Eh. She could afford to leave 10 minutes early. Daniel had already come in for his shift an hour ago and business had died down considerably even before that. 

“Yeah, why not. It’s been awhile since I went shopping. Let me just let Daniel know and I’ll grab my jacket.”

“Yes! Hurry up! I want to catch that cute guy at the phone kiosk before he closes up!” Prue cheered, adding a small fist bump into the air at her success.

Nearly an hour later, Mallory found herself helping carry Prue’s numerous shopping bags.

“I can’t believe you brought all of this in one store.” She remarked, disbelief clear in her tone. “This looks like almost half the store!”

“Oh, come on. It wasn’t half of the store, you’re so dramatic.” The blonde glanced down at the bags in her arms then at the ones Mal carried. “Maybe only a quarter.”

“How do you expect to keep shopping when you already have so many bags?”

Prue turned to her and shrugged, an impish grin on her face. “Window shopping?”

Mallory rolled her eyes and kept up with Prue’s pace. She loved her friend to bits, but if there was one thing she would change about her it would be to curb her spending habits. If it wasn’t for her uncle’s house being so large she’d probably end up on some reality tv show depicting shopaholics or hoarders. On the bright side, with all the bags she was carrying around maybe she’d end up building up a little bit of muscles in her arms. 

“Ooh! Let’s stop here!” Prue chirped, stopping short and abruptly turning. “I’ve wanted to check this place out since I checked the reviews!”

Mallory looked up at the multicolored sign with a raised brow. “Bitty Farm? When did they open this up?”

“I’m not sure. A few months ago, maybe?”

The girls walked through the door, setting off the small bell that was rigged against the top corner to alert the staff of potential customers. Mallory was immediately greeted to the sight of several small monsters gathered into several small gates and enclosures. Some had come to the edges to see who it was that entered the store, while others ignored them completely. Mallory remembered hearing from some of the guests in the bakery about bitties, but she’d never actually seen one before. She knew they were pretty much the same thing as regular monsters, only much smaller. She knew there were different types and that majority of them could use magic just as well as their larger counterparts. That was, however, where all her knowledge on the subject ended. Prue was quick to stick herself to one of the enclosures and wave happily to the few that trotted up to where she stood. 

“They’re all so cute! I’ve always wanted to adopt one of them, but between work and spending time with Jason, I don’t think I’d be able to give them much attention. I heard that certain types of bitties need a lot of attention and care.”

“I’m sure that’s true.” Mallory smiled, waving back to the few that had noticed her standing next to the blonde. They really were cute. “But they say that about a lot of animals too.”

Her eyes strayed to the side, watching the activities of the few bitties that either hadn’t noticed them or chose to ignore them. A few of them were sleeping and the rest were playing or interacting with the others in some way. One that caught her eye was hovering near the back corner of the small pen, hands against the glass that surrounded him and the other small bitties. A small blue scarf was wrapped around his neck and he had large blue stars in his sockets that were trained squarely on something through the glass. Mallory followed his gaze through to another bitty, this one slightly taller, that was reclined back against a stuffed animal just on the other side of the glass. The other seemed oblivious, but the more she watched the two she started to notice that one socket would open occasionally to acknowledge the smaller bitty or he would wave back. 

“What about these guys?” She pointed to the two in the corner, drawing her friends’ attention away from a few small bitties that had wandered up to the glass in front of her. “They seem pretty chill. They aren’t running around and climbing things like some of the others.”

Prue followed Mallory’s directions, gaze landing on the bitty in orange pretending to sleep. She snorted as she caught him watching and stared back blankly. “I don’t know, he almost looks stoned. I didn’t think the Papyrus types were that laid back.”

“He does not look stoned!” The brunette scoffed and gave Prue a light shove against her shoulder. “And he’s adorable! Look at how he keeps close to the little one in the other pen! I bet they’re friends!”

Prue wrinkled her nose as she observed the two in thought. The Baby Blue was chattering away to him, none of the other bitties anywhere near the two for him to be interacting with anyone else. The orange-clad bitty glanced between the two girls, dark sockets narrowing on the blonde. Prue stiffened when a glowing orange tongue was stuck out between ivory teeth in her direction before the bitty stood to go sit in the corner directly across from the smaller bitty with the blue scarf. Mallory guffawed and struggled to hold in her laughter at the indignant huff her friend released at the gesture.

“Wow! You know you had that one coming! Rejection from a bitty you didn’t even speak to!” She howled, doubling over against the glass.

Prue grimaced and crossed her arms, pointedly ignoring Mallory’s jibes to get under her skin. Instead she opted to change the subject around to the other girl. “You know, you should think about getting one! I know you work, but you spend a lot of time home alone! You don’t go out as often as you used to!” Prue suddenly gripped Mallory’s shoulders and gave them a light shake. “It would give you someone to talk to, so you don’t have to worry about socializing so much!”

“You make me sound like a shut-in!” Mallory sighed happily, wiping away a stray tear from her earlier hysterics. “And maybe I don’t go out as much because my best friend suddenly decided to be more responsible!”

Prue shrugged, turning to pick up her bags once more. “I was working dead-end jobs! Going to school means better jobs and more money!”

“You weren’t exactly struggling to begin with, Prue…”

“Okay, I know I spend more than I make anyway, but even I know that I have to make my living somewhere.” The blonde grimaced. “Plus, my uncle kind of gave me something of an ultimatum. Either go back to school or start paying rent for the portion of the property I live on.”

“About time.” Mallory snickered at the dropped jaw and narrowed eyes aimed her direction. “Kidding. We both know your uncle is way more lenient with you than any normal relative is. Anyway, you ready to go? I think the staff are starting to glare at us for buying one of these guys.”

“Yeah, yeah. I have what I want. I just wanted to stop in and see some of the bitties.”

Mallory followed her friend out, turning back momentarily to look back at the enclosure with the blue scarfed bitty. Maybe she’d have to do more research on the topic and decide whether it was really going to be okay to adopt one. She really was lonely by herself at home. Without Prue, she’d become something of a recluse and hadn’t been particularly social. Something about those two had interested her. She hadn’t talked or interacted with them, but she certainly wouldn’t mind coming back to see them. 

“You work tomorrow, right? Any chance I can get a free bagel before class tomorrow?” Prue asked hopefully.

“Not a chance. I’m not gonna get in trouble for giving stuff to my friends for free.”

The blonde huffed, shoulders drooping slightly. Mal had a hard time telling if it was from disappointment or from how heavy her bags had to be. “Alright, fine. I guess I’ll just have to buy breakfast like everyone else.”

Mallory rolled her eyes and trotted along beside her friend while she moaned on and on, trying to ignore the weight of the bags until they could get to the car.

 

~*~

 

“You can’t be serious…”

Mallory frowned at the immediate rejection from the boy across from her. Daniel had started working at the bakery at the same time she had, becoming fast friends within the short time they’d been trained together. They’d been friends for several years now and Mallory had started to feel like she had another brother, especially since her own had moved to another state for school. She missed him dearly but found solace and comfort in Daniel. 

“Wow. I didn’t realize you were so against bitties. I don’t see anything wrong with them. I’ve started to do a lot of research and go through forums and everything I’ve read has said that most bitties are great additions to any family.”

“Yeah, when that family consists of more than one person.”

“Not true! Majority of people that adopt a bitty are people that live alone!”

“Okay, fine. How about the fact that they take more care than a standard pet, AND they can use magic? Magic, Mallory! How does that not terrify you?!” Daniel grimaced, putting more force into wiping up the crusted dough leftover on the counter. 

“I used to have a ferret, and they’re considered high maintenance pets. I had no trouble with Romeo at all. Besides, all monsters can use magic, not just bitties. Some of my neighbors are monsters, and they’re very nice. Magic is pretty cool.” Mallory shrugged. 

Monsters had been on the surface for years now. She remembered when they’d first emerged from under the mountain. Her family had been one of many that had been horrified and thought it would be the end of the world. Her dad had pulled her and her brother from school, stocked up on canned food and water, and practically barricaded the house. Her mother was always crying and praying to the small statue on her dresser while her dad had never once sat down his shotgun, not even when they sat down for meals. Honestly, she was pretty sure he’d slept with it too. It wasn’t until the school had gotten the police involved after two weeks of being absent with no word from her family that Mallory’s life had gone back to normal. Several weeks after that and her school had their first monster students. The adults had been scared and fear usually lead to anger and intolerance, but many of the elders in town and most young adults had been cautious but accepting. When monster kids had been introduced into her school, there was no difference in how they were treated compared to any other new kid. Her school had been in one of the nicer parts of the city, but she did hear about how most monsters were treated in the less popular and more grungy parts around the city central. It made her heart ache for them, seeing them treated so badly when they were clearly nicer and of higher moral standing than most people she’d known. 

“Yeah, but there are laws for monsters that use magic! Bitties don’t have the same restrictions that they do!” The blonde waved his hand wildly, brown eyes wide with worry. “For all you know they could attack you just to escape and run around causing problems in town!”

Mallory resisted the urge to roll her eyes but couldn’t stop the frown that pulled down the corners of her mouth. “As much as you would love to think that, that’s not likely to happen. From what I’ve read, bitties are largely dependent on others to survive. There are cases of some strays, but that’s rare.”

Daniel gave her an unamused look and shook his head, tossing his rag underneath the counter. “Fine. You do what you want. Don’t come to me when the thing destroys your house and runs amok in the town. I’m gonna stay safe in the kitchen with the ovens.”

The blonde walked away with a grimace, heading back through the small cutaway door to the kitchen. Well, if he wanted to throw and fit and brood then she wasn’t going to stop him. In the years that she’d known Daniel, he was always skittish and went against new things. This would just be something else that he would have to wrap his head around before he calmed down. 

“Mallory, you can take your break now. I’ll take over for the counter for now.”

The brunette smiled and happily obliged, brushing past the veteran baker to the break room. Sam was a few years older than Mal and had been with the bakery since he was a teenager. While she wasn’t close to him they’d gotten along and learned how to work well together, meaning the older of the two usually had to remind Mallory to even take her breaks in the first place. As she entered the small break room and pulled out her lunch box she started pulling up the website for Bitty Farm, swiftly going through the various links. Some of the tabs referred to locations and helpful information, others would open tabs to pictures and descriptions of different types of bitties. Hmm, could be somewhat helpful.

She clicked on the tab and started scrolling, briefly skimming through line after line of text following familiar pictures of the various bitties she’d seen the other day. So, the small one with the blue bandana around his neck was called a Baby Blue. Energetic, excitable, lovable, loud, and friendly. The other one that had been sleeping on the stuffed bear was called a Lil Bro. Cool, quiet, often aloof, jokesters with a passion for pranks, often caught dozing off or napping. Huh. For bitties that seemed to be on complete opposites of the spectrum they sure seemed to get along well enough. It was a wonder that they didn’t let them out together so that they could socialize. She couldn’t imagine that it could be too healthy for them to be kept inside of glass enclosures and kept apart like that. Maybe they had a reason for it?

Mallory eyed the small tab that was ever present in the top right corner of the page, mind starting to churn as she recollected Prue’s words from the previous day. Should she adopt a bitty? It wasn’t like she couldn’t afford it. The bitties themselves were somewhat expensive, but all their clothing and daily necessities were relatively cheap seeing as how they were so small and often easy to make if you followed a simple DIY video. Her apartment was quiet and maybe just a tad bit lonely since it was just her living there on her own. Urgh! Dammit Prue! Her apartment had been a warm cozy place of solitude, now it seemed cold and empty and more uninviting than anything! She never would have started questioning her lifestyle before the blonde had decided to plant these ideas in her head.

With a decisive nod and determination settling in her mind, Mallory clicked on the large white letters in the corner of the page that read ADOPTION. And she had a pretty good feeling of the two that she wanted to adopt. While she hadn’t interacted or spoken to them while she was there, Mal just couldn’t help but keep thinking back to those two. Something about them just wouldn’t leave her alone and the more she thought about going to pick them up and take them home, the more she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.


	2. The Great Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory finally makes her way back to the mall, only to find that something has gone terribly wrong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter ready, along with several others, for quite a while. I was going to wait and post one chapter a week but I can't wait that long! I have to post them as soon as they're ready! I am just too impatient to upload! So, here you go! I'll likely be posting chapters 3 and 4 tomorrow once I finish editing them. Thank you for reading! I look forward to your comments, whether it's good, bad, or even a suggestion or idea! :) I love it all!

It took one week for the adoption to be finalized and the proper paperwork to be emailed to Mallory. One week for her to get a day off to go back to the mall to pick up her bitties. One week for proverbial shit to hit the fan. Prue had known a few days prior that Mallory was in the process of adoption and been through the roof when she’d been asked to go to the mall with her and pick up her new friends. The two had expected to go in, meet and pick up the two bitties, shop for whatever they needed, and go home. What they hadn’t expected was the lineup of police cars in front of the building and for the Bitty Farm to be taped off with the owners led out in cuffs. Uniformed officers carried bitties out by the dozens in large carriers, some of them carrying the larger ones out one or two at a time. 

“Jesus…what happened here?” Mallory muttered under her breath. 

“Black Market smuggling and fighting rings.”

Both girls turned, a man frowning as he stood beside them within the sea of people who had gathered around the store.

“What do you mean?” Prue questioned, keeping her eyes trained on the scene. 

“The owners were smuggling bitties illegally, using the store as a front so they wouldn’t get caught. People take the bitties out the back and some go out the front and taken to be sold to whoever will use them to fight in illegal betting rings.” The man shook his head with a grimace. “Disgusting. I can’t believe some of things people do for some sick kicks.”

Prue shuddered, holding her arms tightly to herself. “How can someone be so sick that they could hurt these little guys…?”

Of course, if someone could be so cruel to monster kind they could be equally as bad if not worse to something so much smaller and helpless. Mallory should have known that there would be cases of bitty abuse, after all there was such a thing as child and animal abuse. It was almost a given that something like this was bound to happen. A cruel and sad truth. But fighting rings? They made the bitties fight other bitties? Were they coerced or tortured, or brain washed? Good God, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what kinds of things happen to the small monsters in places like that. It almost made her wonder who the real monsters were. 

“Alright, I need everyone to clear out of here now.” An officer walked up to the growing crowd and started waving them away. “Come on, go back to your business.”

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Prue pulled on Mallory’s arm, leading her out of the dispersing group of people. “Maybe we can go find one of the workers that’s helping with the bitties and ask where they’re being taken.”

“They’re probably going to other shelters or adoption centers.” Mallory nodded, starting off towards where more people in uniforms were loading up crates and pens. “I wonder if they’d honor my agreement since the owners were into some crooked business.”

“If anything, they might have you refill the paperwork and maybe do some background checks on you.” The blonde shrugged. “Either way, I hope the little guys are alright. You said you knew who you were interested in adopting right?”

“Yeah! The two we saw last time we were here! The Baby Blue and Lil B--!”

Both girls yelped as they were roughly shoved to the side by a large body. Mallory barely managed to catch herself before falling to the floor, Prue getting knocked into another shopper that was walking in the opposite direction. 

“Hey! You could at least apologize!” Prue snapped, glaring at the retreating back of the man that had run into them. “What’s your problem!”

The man sneered as he looked back at them. “I’m just walking through like everyone else. Mind your own business, kid.”

When Prue started to protest he grimaced and adjusted the backpack on his shoulder. Mallory frowned when a small cry was released, almost lost within the noise of the busy mall. She would have thought nothing of it had the guy not reached around and smacked the side of his bag, before pretending to adjust it with the same hand. Prue must have heard the same thing, because she was now looking around in search of the distressed sound. 

“What was that?” The blonde muttered, eyes scanning the area for signs of anyone remotely upset. 

“Jeez, you deaf on top of being blind?” The man growled, narrowing his eyes at both girls. He turned and started walking away once again. 

Mallory sucked in a sharp breath. One of the zippers was split open a few inches from the bottom of the bag. Sticking out between the teeth was a tiny white skeletal hand. Before her brain could fully comprehend her actions, her purse was flying and striking the back of the mans head with force. The guy cried out in shock, stumbling forward and flailing his arms to regain his balance. The action was enough for the strap of the backpack to slide down his arm and fall to the floor with a heavy thud, eliciting another small cry. 

“Mallory, what the hell!” Prue hissed, staring at her friend is disbelief. “The guys an asshole but that doesn’t mean you should attack him! There are cops everywhere! What if he- hey!”

The brunette wasn’t listening to her friend, her focus solely on the backpack. She lunged forward as the thief turned around and snatched it off the floor, shuffling back with it held tightly in her arms. The man snarled as he realized what had happened and took a heavy step forward, arms raising as if to take the bag back.

“Don’t!” Mallory snapped, taking another step back. “You come any closer and I’ll scream. This place is crawling with cops, and I’ll say whatever I have to for them to walk you out of here in cuffs.”

Prue was staring at her like she’d grown a second head, mouth opening and closing like she was gasping for air. As if becoming aware of his situation the man stiffened and lowered his arms, looking around them as more uniformed men and women walked around them. She had him cornered. He couldn’t do anything to them or the cops would be on him in seconds. If he claimed she stole from him, they’d have to search the contents to make sure he was telling the truth and search for his ID to verify that he did in fact own the bag. His grit his teeth together, feeling the fear and frustration bubble up in his chest. This little bitch…

“Give me back the bag, girl. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

He was bluffing, an attempt to scare her into handing it over. And she wasn’t having any of it. Prue grabbed her arm and tried to pull the bag away, eyes flicking nervously around them as they started to garner attention. Three people stopped in a stare-down in the middle of a busy mall wasn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. 

“Dammit, Mal! Just give him back his bag! What’s gotten into you! This is stealing!” She snapped.

Mallory grabbed the zipper, pulling it wide open with enough force to startle to occupants into making more noise. Prue released the bag as she was started by the sudden noise, eyes homed in on the contents automatically as they continued sobbing. Her green eyes widened as she finally understood. The bag was full of bitties! This scumbag was kidnapping! She whirled angrily, eyes focused on the sweating nervous man. 

“You were stealing bitties?!”

The man stumbled back, clearly not expecting such a loud outburst from such a small girl. “I ain’t stealing nothing! They belong to me!” 

“Liar! You were hiding them inside the backpack so you could get past the police without them questioning you!” Mallory accused. 

Prue turned and cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling as loudly as she could and startling some of the people passing by. “Hey! Thief! This guy is stealing! Help!”

The guy flinched and whirled around, making a mad dash for the exit. Some of the officers had stopped when they heard Prue shout. Seeing the man running spurred them into action and they immediately took chase, taking off after his retreating form as he rounded the corner. Prue huffed and crossed her arms, watching the scene with distaste clear in her features. Mallory sat down on one of the benches and carefully settled the bag into her lap, pulling the flaps open to get a better look inside. Three skeleton bitties were huddled together at the bottom and stared up at her with wide glowing sockets, colorful tears streaming down their faces. One of them was clinging to another taller bitty that looked like he was unconscious, laying limp alongside them. She slowly reached in but stopped as soon as they all cried out and started sobbing that much harder.

“Oh, no! No, no, it’s okay! I’m not gonna hurt you!” Mallory whispered, holding her hands up for them to see clearly. “That guy is gone, he can’t get you. I promise, I just want to help.”  
One of the bitties, a short blue skeleton wearing a small fluffy yellow jacket, looked as if he made to peer over the edge of the bag beside Mallory. “H…He’s really gone?”  
She smiled, nodding her head and pulling the edge of the bag lower for him to see over. “Yeah, the cops are taking care of him right now. He’s long gone.”

Prue sat down next to her and leaned over to get a look at them, making them flinch and huddle together tighter. She frowned and felt her eyes start to prick with tears at the state they were in. Poor things were terrified. 

“It’s okay. This is my friend. She helped me save you guys.” Mallory assured quickly at seeing them start to tremble. 

The one in the small yellow jacket looked between the two of them, sniffling loudly as he tried to settle himself down. “R…Really?”

Prue nodded her head slowly, trying her best not to scare them again. “Yeah, really. I’m sorry if I scared you. Are you guys okay?’

The question seemed to spur him into action as he suddenly wailed, fresh tears spilling out of his sockets as he raised both arms in the arm towards her. The blonde reached in and let him latch onto her fingers, pulling him up out of the bag and holding him tightly to her chest. The small bitty sobbed and cried as he shook, foregoing Prue’s hand in favor of clenching his small hands tightly to the front of her shirt. Another whimper pulled her attention back into the back to see another skeleton, this one clad in violet and black with a small crack down his socket. He was tense, backed into one of the corners of the bag in fear while at the same time looking up at her with such an expression of longing that it nearly made her heard break as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She reached in again, holding her hand out for the little guy to run to the same way the other had. He flinched and snapped his small pointy teeth, watching her hand warily.

“It’s okay. I just want to help you out of the bag.” Prue muttered softly, keeping her hand as still as she could. 

The scarred bitty looked up at her for a moment before returning his gaze to her hand. He sniffled once more, wiping his face on his arm and slowly shuffled into her hand. He held tightly to her thumb as she lifted him out of the bag and held him close to the other bitty. Seeing the other, he stumbled forward and wrapped his arms around the still sobbing bitty, burying his face into the white fluff of the yellow hood. 

“B-Brother...please….”

Mallory turned away from her friend to see the remaining small bitty was still clinging to the unconscious one. He was grabbing the front of his orange shirt and shaking him gently, bright blue tears flowing freely down his cheekbones. With a start, she suddenly realized that these were the same two bitties she’d seen a week ago. The Baby Blue who’d been pressed up against the glass next to the napping Lil Bro. 

“What happened to him?”

The Baby Blue flinched and looked up at her with wide fearful sockets. “H-He won’t wake up. That man….my brother tried to fight him when he grabbed me and he…he hit him. I-I can’t wake him up!”

Oh shit. That was a problem. And now he was starting to hiccup and cry louder. “Here, is it okay if I take you guys out of the bag?”

The bitty nodded quickly, reaching up with both arms the way the other had to Prue. Mal reached in carefully, feeling the Baby Blue grab onto her fingers and curl up against her palm. Her other hand shuffled underneath the Lil Bro and pulled him out, cradling him in her lap carefully so as not to injure him further. The smaller of the two scrambled out of her hand and into her lap, once more clinging tightly to the other. He looked up at her with pleading eyes, hands trembling where they held fast to the orange fabric of his brother’s shirt. 

“P-Please! Can you help him?”

The brunette bent down to get a closer look, hand hovering uncertainly above the two. His bones didn’t look broken or anything, but what did she know about bones? Certainly not enough to tell if something was wrong other than the blatantly obvious. She did have a keen attention to detail though, making sure to look over the two closely. Their clothing was disheveled and worn, most likely from regular wear instead of just being in the bag in the short time they’d been taken. Other than a few scuffs and nicks, there didn’t appear to be anything wrong with them physically. She tried as gently as possible to turn over the taller of the two, trying to get a better look at his skull. His brother had said that he was hit and now he wouldn’t wake up. Would that be like a head trauma? Could skeletons get concussions? The smaller bitty in her lap sucked in a sharp breath and whimpered, hands going out to touch the side of his brother’s skull. It was a large dull orange spot that grew from the base of his skull up and around the side to his cheekbone. Was it a bruise? She didn’t even know that it was possible to bruise a bone. Maybe it was a magic thing? Either way, this was beyond something that she could take care of. He was still breathing and every so often his hand or socket would twitch. That was a good sign, right?

“Is he hurt?”

Prue was leaning forward, green eyes settled on the dark blotch of bone. 

“Yeah. He got knocked out or something. The guy hit him pretty hard.” Mallory replied.

“Maybe we should take back to where the store is. Some of the people helping to carry the bitties out looked like they were doctors or techs.” She supplied, sitting back up and craning her head around to look out for the familiar scrubs and jackets. There! Two were walking their way, one carrying a small box and the other empty handed. “Hey! We need some help over here!”

Mallory followed her gaze, spotting the two as well. The empty handed one, a tan bear monster, spoke to the human man carrying the box before speed walking over to them, kneeling in front of them when she spotted the bitties in their arms. 

“What’s going on over here?” She looked down at the trembling bitties, tensing when she saw the one in orange lying unconscious in Mallory’s lap. “What happened?”

“We caught some guy trying to run off with these guys stuffed into his bag.” Prue immediately supplied, not liking the suspicious tone the doctors voice carried.

Mallory nodded in confirmation, turning the little guys skull slightly so that she could see the bruise. “He got knocked out. He’s still moving a little bit and it looks like he’s breathing, but he’s hasn’t woken up yet. His brother says he’s been out for a while now.”

The monster looked down at the clinging and sniffling bitty, a soft smile spreading across her face. Her tone changed to something softer and she spoke quietly as she addressed him. “Hello. My name is Dana, I’m a nurse. Is it alright if I pick up your brother? I just want to check him out and make sure he’s alright.”

He sniffled again, staring at her soft brown eyes in deliberation before looking back up at Mallory with his brow bones knitted together, almost as if he was asking a silent question. The brunette gave him a quick nod and what she hoped was a reassuring smile. 

“It’s okay. She’s going to help him. She’s been helping your other friends from the store?” The last part was more of a question and was directed at Dana when she raised her blue eyes to meet the others brown ones. The monster confirmed this and continued to wait patiently for the little guys consent. “Yeah. You can trust her. It’s okay.”

Starry blue eyes looked back at the nurse he nodded his head hesitantly, letting go of his brother’s shirt when her furry hands gently picked him up. He clung to the fabric of Mallory’s sleeve as Dana sat on the bench next to the girls. The bear monster was slowly turning him this way and that in her paw, checking him over quickly before turning her attention to the large bruised skull with a grimace. If her expression was any indication, it must have been bad. The bitty in Mallory’s arms whimpered as he watched his brother being handled by the nurse, hands tightening and loosening every time the other bitty moved or made a noise. He could probably do with a distraction before he ended up turning into a little anxious ball of magic. 

“I like your scarf. Blue is my favorite color.” One of her fingers came up to brush against the fabric, noting how worn it was at the front where it hung down in front of his clavicles. 

His attention was drawn back to her, small hands coming up to bunch in the front of the fabric nervously. Ah, so that’s why it looked so worn. It seemed like it was a nervous habit. “Thank you. Blue is my favorite color too.”

“Really? That’s awesome! I guess that’s something we have in common then.” She smiled.

Starry sockets visibly brightened, and he raised a finger to point at her face while the other come down over one of his eyelights. “WE BOTH HAVE BLUE HERE TOO! THAT’S ANOTHER THING!” His mouth suddenly fell open and he bounced excitedly on the heels of his feet. “DO YOU LIKE PUZZLES?! PLEASE SAY YOU LIKE PUZZLES!”

Oh. My. Lord. The way his starry sockets seemed to morph and grow larger and the way his smiled stretched wide across his face was far too endearing. His voice became loud and boisterous the more he calmed down as he continued conversing with the brunette. Mallory found herself clutching her chest at the sudden warmth that spread through her being.

“Yes! I love puzzles! I have a few of them at home!” 

“TRULY?! HUMAN!!!”   
He suddenly sprang from her lap into her stomach and did his very best to try to huge the expanse of her stomach, though his arms didn’t go more than a couple inches to either side of her bellybutton. She couldn’t have stopped the giggle that bubbled up from her throat if she wanted to, holding a hand behind his back and thumping her pointer finger lightly against his back in reciprocation. She wasn’t entirely sure how she was supposed to hug him back. 

“Well, my name is Mallory. But you can call me Mal if you like. Do you have a name?”

The skeleton pulled back and shook his head, smile falling just a little although not completely. “N-NO! WE WEREN’T GIVEN NAMES! SOME OF THE OTHERS HAVE NICKNAMES, BUT NOT EVERYONE!”

“Well, you’re going to need one. I can’t just call you ‘bitty’ or ‘hey, you’ now, can I?” She really did need to call him something. It was understandable that the store wouldn’t give them names, opting instead for the people adopting them to give them their names, but something about just leaving them with the same identity when they were all so unique just felt…wrong somehow. “Why don’t we call you Blue? Will that be okay?”

She glanced down to gauge his reaction and tensed, seeing glowing tears gathering in the corners of his sockets. Oh, shit oh shit oh shit oh shit! What did she say?! Was it really that bad?! Was he hurt or something?!

“O-Or not! It doesn’t have to be that! We can call you something else!” Mallory stammered, panic starting to set in when the tears started to fall. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

He rubbed his face with his scarf and tried his best to make the tears stop, but he couldn’t help it. His soul was overflowing with happiness and it was almost too overwhelming. Nobody had ever given him a second glance when there were so many other Baby Blues running around in the pen. It had been almost a year since any of the people in the store had even picked him up or bothered talking to him at all. And here was this nice human, saving him and his brother from the mean human and offering to give him a name. He sniffled again and beamed up at her with the largest smile he could muster. 

“N-NO, HUMAN! I THINK IT’S WONDERFUL! THANK YOU S-SO MUCH!” 

Mallory was still worried and used a fingertip to rub along his skull. If he liked the name, then were these happy tears? She didn’t realize that something so small could have such a large impact on someone. Still, she tried to return his smile. 

“Then, I guess I have a very important question for you, Blue.”

He perked up at this, still drying remaining tears on his cheekbones. “OF COURSE! ASK ME ANYTHING, HUMAN FRIEND!”

Goodness, even when he was crying he was too cute. “Well, the reason that I came to the mall today was actually to come to the store and adopt a bitty. I met you and your brother a week ago, though I didn’t get the chance to talk to you. I guess I just couldn’t stop thinking about you guys and I know it’s been lonely in my apartment and…well…” Come on, Mal, get to the point! You’re rambling! Just ask already! “Blue, would you like to come home with me?”

Blue’s sockets widened almost comically, and he felt his jaw drop open. This human…wanted him? So many people didn’t give him a chance, seeing him huddled in his little corner so he could be near his brother. The ones that did talk to him would move on when he mentioned his brother, obviously not wanting to bother with adopting two bitties. This human was so nice! And she even gave him a name all his own! But…he couldn’t leave his brother. He looked over his sleeping brother, still in the bear monster’s paws. As much as he wanted it…he just couldn’t. 

Mallory noticed his silence and her heart dropped when the smile fell from his face. Blue had turned in her lap and was watching his brother again, his eyelights dim. “Is something wrong?”

 

Blue tensed and looked down, skull flushing light blue as he refused to meet her gaze. He didn’t want to disappoint her. But he would need to give her his answer. “I…I AM SORRY, HUMAN. BUT I DON’T THINK I CAN.” His voice was still loud, even though it was much quieter than it was before. “MY BROTHER…I CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT HIM. SO, I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT I WON’T BE ABLE TO GO WITH YOU…”

He tensed, ready for her to be angry or disappointed. Would she yell at him? Laugh at him? It had been so long since someone had wanted to adopt him. Even though he wished to not be separated from his only family he could still feel the sadness and disappointment settle deep in his soul, threatening to form the tears that he tried desperately to stop. Blue wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but the warm hand pressed against his back was certainly not it. He blinked up uncertainly at her smiling face. Wasn’t she upset? Why was she smiling?

“If that’s the reason you won’t come with me, then you don’t need to worry about that.” Mallory swiftly pulled out her phone and opened her email, clicking on the saved link at the bottom and spinning the screen around for him to see. “You see, I filled out paperwork to take home two bitties. Not just one.”

Two bitties? So…that meant… “DOES…DOES THIS MEAN…?”

“Yes! I would love to have both you and your brother come home with me!” She grinned. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.

“YOU WANT TO ADOPT US BOTH?!” Oh, here come more tears! He launched himself back into the open palm still against his back and hugged one of her fingers as tightly as he could, the trepidation in his soul swiftly replaced by such an overwhelming sense of happiness and relief that it was almost too much for him to handle. They were finally going to get a home! Together! “THANK YOU, HUMAN! YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO US!”

Mallory chuckled at his swift change in mood and excited outburst. “Do you think your brother will want to come too? I mean, I want both of you guys to be okay with it. If he doesn’t want to then I won’t force you to come with me.”

Blue shook his head vehemently, causing the end of his scarf to wag back and forth with his motions. “YES, HE WILL ABSOLUTELY WANT TO COME TOO! MY BROTHER AND I WILL GO ANYWHERE AS LONG AS WE’RE TOGETHER! AND WE WOULD LOVE TO GO WITH YOU!"

“Great! Then I’ll just turn the paperwork in to…oh...” Mallory trailed off. The adoption center was shut down now, so how was she supposed to legally adopt the two?

“If you’re wondering about the adoption then don’t worry.” Dana suddenly spoke up beside her. “If you hand them over to me then I’ll take them to be filed with the rest of the paperwork that’s being confiscated for the investigation. If the paperwork was already completed, then technically you don’t need to do anything. They’re already in your care.”

“W-Wait, are you sure? I can do that? I won’t get into trouble or anything if I leave with them today, will I?” Mallory gaped at the smiling monster. Could it really be that easy? She didn’t want to get stopped at the door and have them taken away to be given to another adoption center like the others. 

The nurse shook her head, smile permanently fixed on her face. “Not at all. If you would like I can register you as a foster in our center’s database until the paperwork can be filed correctly. I can give you a temporary license today as well.”

“You work for another adoption center?” Prue questioned, having started listening back in to the conversation when Dana had spoken up. 

“Yes, there’s a small center just on the other side of town that I run. Other than the store that was here, we’re the only center in the area.”

Mallory returned her smile, already reaching into her bag and pulling out all of the papers she’d printed off to turn in. “Yes, that would be amazing! Thank you so much!”

Dana chuckled at her enthusiasm, taking the paperwork with one hand while using the other to set the unconscious bitty back into Mallory’s lap. “It’s not a problem, dear. I can see already that they would be going to a good home. This little one will be fine, by the way. He does have a large bruise on his skull – though the discoloration you see around the edges is simply his magic working to heal the bone. He should wake up within a couple hours. He may be a bit delirious or confused, but that’s normal for a head injury. Just don’t let him go back to sleep right away and make sure he has an appetite.” She stood and adjusted the papers in her hands, glancing over them briefly with a small nod of her large head. “Now then, I can take the other bitties from your friend and get them settled as well if you’d like…oh!”

Mallory turned and snorted, quickly covering her mouth as she took in the position her friend was in. The small bitty in violet was currently on Prue’s shoulder, tangling himself in her long blonder hair. The other bitty with the yellow jacket had since calmed down and was fast asleep as she held him against her chest, clutching tightly to the fabric of her shirt even now. Upon hearing the nurse’s words, the violet bitty glared menacingly at her and huddled himself further into the ball of hair he’d entangled himself in, daring her to try and take him. 

“U-Um…can you make that two fosters? Please?” Prue stuttered quietly with a nervous smile. 

“YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME FROM MY HUMAN, FIEND!” The bitty hissed, sharp teeth snapping threateningly. 

Dana quickly recovered from her surprised state and laughed at the scene before her. Two young women who have completely enamored four scared and tired bitties. This was not something that she saw every day, but it warmed her soul to see the connections between them starting to form so soon. Yes, they would make great caretakers indeed, their souls were kinder and purer than many she’d seen thus far. 

“Of course, dear. If you’ll both follow me, we can get you taken care of right away.”

Mallory felt relief and he steadied Blue in one hand and carefully held his brother in the other, standing to follow the kind monster. This was really happening. She was going to be able to share her home with both skeletons. Her heart soared. Everything felt so surreal as her and Prue walked along with the nurse. Mal looked down at the bitties in her arms and felt another smile creep onto her face as she watched them. She was so thankful that she was able to help them. And now even more thankful that Blue had accepted her and was more than happy to become part of her family. Now all they had to do was wait for his brother to wake up and tell him the good new! …. crap. He was going to need a name too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! Brave human is brave but also very stupid! Word of advice bros, don't actually go out and put yourself in danger like this, always alert the proper authorities! 
> 
> Also, if you are curious what types of bitties our new little friends are!
> 
> Blue is a Baby Blue, obviously! And his brother is a Lil' Bro! The small one in yellow is a Softbones! The other bitty that has claimed Prue is the Swapfell Sans type! I'm afraid I don't know if he actually has a type so if someone could inform me that would be great! I will be more than happy to include it in the next chapter's notes along with your name your help!
> 
> Thanks again! :)


	3. You Wanna Taco 'Bout It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue's brother finally awakens! Next we have some shenanigans in the food court!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I lied. Posting two chapters in one day was too much to resist! As for what I said in the end notes of Chapter 2 - if someone can still tell me what the Swapfell Sans bitty is called I will still give you credit in the following chapter! I promise!

As it turned out, Dana was the head of the adoption clinic and had the power to do pretty much whatever she wanted – within reason, that is. All she had to do was call up her employees, give them the information required for them to register, and boom! Done in a matter of minutes. Their temporary license was sent to their email and an official card would be sent in the mail in a few days. It was almost scary how efficient the bear monster was at her job, but Mallory was thankful for everything she’d done. 

Blue’s brother had ended up waking up while they were in the process of speaking with Dana and her employees, which wasn’t very pretty, since not one of them had been paying him much attention at the time. When Dana said it would take a couple hours for him to wake up Mallory had been expecting a much longer period than 20 minutes. But she had also said that his magic had been busy working to heal him while he was unconscious so perhaps that had something to do with it. He’d woken up dazed from the impact to his skull but as soon as he’d gotten his bearings he had started to yell and bat at Mallory’s hands where they were holding him. She’d nearly dropped him in shock, clearly not expecting the skeleton to wake so soon and to be so panicked as soon as he did. He’d woken up and began demanding where he was and what she’d done to his brother, going as far as to summon a slew of bones that had been aimed directly at her. Luckily, Blue had hopped down from his place on Mallory’s shoulder to console his distraught and confused brother. It was sad but heartwarming seeing how tightly the taller skeleton had clung to his brother once he was within reach. Being separated in different pens like that must have been hard for the two. It really made her wonder why they had decided to keep the brothers separate. 

“YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT, BROTHER! SHE CHARGED HIM LIKE A FIERCE HERO AND PICKED US UP SO QUICKLY, HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL WE WERE ALREADY WITHIN THE SAFETY OF HER ARMS!” Blue shouted excitedly as recounting the events that were missed while he was unconscious, though much of the details were greatly exaggerated. Still, he listened closely, nodding at the appropriate times. “AND MISS PRUE WAS THERE AS WELL! SHE CALLED ON THE NICE NURSE THAT HELPED YOU! SHE EVEN SAID THAT SHE WOULD ADOPT US! BOTH OF US!”

At this statement the taller bitty looked up at her with a bone brow raised in question, looking to Mallory to further elaborate. Mal flushed under his scrutinizing gaze and swallowed. For such a small thing he was intimidating when he was serious. “W-Well, like I told Blue, that’s only if you guys would both want to come with me. We had to wait for you to wake up to ask you though.”

The questioning gaze was aimed back at his brother. “Blue?”

The small bitty flushed blue once more, hands fidgeting with the front of his scarf. “M…MY NAME! IT’S MY FAVORITE COLOR, SO MISS MALLORY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD NAME!”

Mallory chuckled at his sudden shy behavior. She was starting to realize that Blue was very easily flustered, but no less rambunctious when he was. “I thought it might suit him well. Is there anything that I should call you? I’m assuming you would want a name as well. I wouldn’t think you’d just like to be called ‘bitty’ or ‘Lil Bro’.”

He seemed to mull it over in his head for a moment, eyelights darting around them as they moved. He’d never really considered a name before. All the other Papyrus type bitties didn’t have names, only a few of them acquiring nicknames over the years if they managed to stand out in some way. He was just a generic Lil Bro, though. After awhile he’d given up on being adopted altogether, opting instead to protect his bro from the grabby hands of children and the blatant stares of adults. Heck, even this right now didn’t seem completely real to him. But he saw the wide excited sockets of his brother watching him closely. He knew Blue had wanted to be adopted, wanted to be accepted, for as long as he could remember ever being in the store. He at least needed to attempt to make this work. For Blue. Wow, it was already easy to acknowledge his bro’s new name. This girl was right, it really did suit him well. 

Mallory was starting to get the feeling that he was too lost in his own thoughts to really choose a name for himself. His eyelights had dimmed and blurred, and while he was looking around at things before he was now just staring at the drawstring on her jacket. Maybe she should break him out of whatever thoughts seemed to hold him? “Um…hey, are you good?”

The skeleton jumped, giving a quick curt nod before he suddenly found something. A familiar condiment packet on the table they were passing in the food court. With a decisive nod, he finally spoke. “Honey.”

An eyebrow was raised at his response, confusion taking over her expression. “Honey?”

“Yeah. You asked what I wanted to be called. If we’re going with favorites, then why not favorite food. Is there a problem with that?” He yawned and leaned back against his brother. 

Mallory thought it over briefly. It wasn’t the strangest thing she ever heard. It was actually kind of cute, like a term of endearment instead of a condiment. She could get used to it. “That’ll work as long as it’s something you like.” He shrugged. “That’s not an answer.” She chuckled, earning another shrug.

“Hey, Mal.” Prue nudged her arm, nodding her head towards the food counters. “We’re gonna go ahead and get something to eat before we start shopping. Are you going to come too?”

Before she could answer, Mallory’s stomach suddenly growled, clenching almost painfully at the idea of food. She’d nearly forgotten about eating at all. In fact, she’d been so excited to come and pick them up that she’d skipped breakfast altogether and it was now getting into the late afternoon. Blue had jolted away from her abdomen in alarm when it made its presence known. 

“MISS MALLORY, WHAT WAS THAT?!”

Oh right, skeletons didn’t have a stomach, so they couldn’t have known what that was. Honey looked just as off-put and confused as his brother. “Oh, sorry. Um, that’s normal. It happens when humans get hungry.”

“SO, YOUR STOMACH TELLS YOU WHEN IT NEEDS FOOD?! THAT’S AMAZING!” Blue exclaimed. His tiny skeleton hands poked and prodded at the soft skin of her midsection and, oddly enough, he started speaking to it. “NO WORRIES, MISS MALLORY’S STOMACH! WE SHALL GET YOU SOMETHING TO EAT!”

Mallory grinned and squirmed at the small ticklish touched. “Um, Blue, my stomach is a part of me. It can’t understand what you’re saying.”

Honey grimaced as her stomach squelched again and looked up at her with an odd expression. If she had to name it the closest thing she could think of was that he was obviously grossed out. “I don’t know. Your explanation is a little hard to digest.” 

The brunette paused and stared at him with wide blue eyes, taking in his statement. Honey simply shrugged again and went back to leaning against her arm, this time away from her noisy stomach. There was a small snort and suddenly she erupted into a fit of giggles, making him look back up at her in surprise. Huh. She was one of the first humans that would laugh instead of sneer at one of his puns. 

“Well, if you liked that one then maybe you’ll like my other jokes. I warn you though, some of them may be hard to swallow.” 

Mallory’s giggling had dissolved into full on laughter in an instant, causing her body to shake so hard that she had to stop walking for fear that she might trip. Honey smirked, opening his mouth to make yet another pun when a small hand clamped tightly over his teeth. 

“BROTHER, PLEASE! AT THIS RATE SHE IS GOING TO TAKE US BACK! ENOUGH OF YOUR INSUFFERABLE PUNS!” Blue groused, cheeks puffing as he glared. 

Prue stared at the trio with wide eyes, taking a step away from them as onlookers began to stare at the odd girl laughing uncontrollably in the middle of the food court. “Um…I’m gonna take that as a yes. And walk away. You’re starting to draw attention.”

“No, Prue! I promise I’ll be good! Don’t leave me!” Mallory wailed dramatically, leaning heavily on her friend as she tried to escape.

Prue stumbled slightly and tried to push her off with one hand. “Mal, no! Bad, Mal! You’re gonna make me drop the bitties!”

Razz held fast to a loch of blonde hair and growled with irritation at the dramatic brunette. Clearly, she was upsetting his human! But then why was she laughing? Was she enjoying the odd behavior this other human was displaying? Either way, how dare she touch what was his! “HUMAN, BEHAVE YOURSELF! YOU ARE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF!”

Mallory smiled and lifted a finger, giving him a light tap on top of his head and muttered a small ‘boop’ much to the disgruntled shock and embarrassment of the other. “Alright, I’m sorry. I promise not to steal all of Prue’s attention away from you.”

Razz sputtered in outrage as his face bloomed in brilliant magenta and his hands clasped into fists. H-How dare she! He was not jealous! How could he be?! He was no crying and clinging babybones! And besides, he had only known his human for a short time! Obviously, she was completely enamored with him and thus her jealousy was to be expected, but he was nothing of the sort and would not stand for such a blatant insult. His human was quick to defend him, much to his surprise, reaching a hand up and gently cupping him against her neck.

“Don’t tease him like that, it’s mean.” She smirked, getting a grip on the giggle that wanted to come out. If she laughed now he would probably have a fit. He seemed very much to be a proud bitty and would likely take it personally. “Besides, you wouldn’t be able to distract me from him anyway. He’s much more handsome than you are.”

Mallory smiled, seeing the flush on his little skull grow impossibly bright as he clung to her hand. She could already tell the small bitty was greatly attached to her friend, her compliments only making him more and more enamored with her as time passed. “True, he is quite handsome. I’m not sure I could compete with any of them actually. They’re all so very cute.”

Blue patted at her hand to get her attention and looked up at her with large starry sockets. “EVEN ME?!”

“Especially you!” She lifted a finger, giving him a small boop on the skull as well, smiling as he flushed blue and let out a small ‘mweh heh heh!’. 

“So….food?” Prue asked, taking another step towards the heavenly smell of soup and baked bread. Panera sounded absolutely delicious right now.

“Food.” Mallory agreed, instantly following her down the row of counters. She looked down at the two bitties in her arms. “What would you guys like to eat? Is there anything in particular you want?”

Honey shrugged again. “We never had many options before, supplements and the occasional monster candy.”

“You guys have never had a warm meal?” Mallory grimaced. It sounded more and more like the bitty centers were more of a jail than an adoption center. She would have assumed that they would make sure the bitties had proper food and were allowed to run and stretch their legs. “Well, that settles it. Take a look around! Whatever you guys want!”

“OOH OOH! HUMAN, I WISH TO EAT THAT FOOD!”

Blue was leaning out of her arms to the point that she was concerned he would fall. His hand was stretched out as far as it would go and pointed toward a large yellow sign with a bell on it. 

“Oh, that’s Taco Bell! They’re actually really good!” Mallory nodded and started walking towards the counter. 

“THERE WAS ONCE A HUMAN THAT WAS EATING A TACO IN THE STORE! SOME OF IT WAS DROPPED INTO OUR PEN AND WE ALL SPLIT AS MUCH AS WE COULD!” Blue was practically drooling at this point, scouring the menu for what he could possibly want. “IT WAS DELICIOUS! I HAVE WAITED AN ETERNITY FOR ANOTHER TASTE OF SUCH CULINARY EXPERTISE!”

In other words, he really likes tacos. Good to know! “Okay, we’ll definitely get some soft tacos then. Maybe a quesarito and definitely a steak quesadilla!” Man, it had been way too long since she’d been here last. She could practically taste it already. “Is that alright with you, Honey?”

“Sure thing, dear.”

Mallory rolled her eyes and stepped into line to order. “Ha. I see what you did there. Are you sure you don’t want to try something else? It’s pretty good, but not everyone likes it.”

“Eh, I’ll give it a try. I have to warn you though, food just goes right through me.” 

That one earned him a chuckle. “I can see why. You’re all bone.”

Honey snickered, smiling for the first time since he woke up. At least he seemed to be somewhat warming up to her. 

“NO! PLEASE, NO MORE PUNS!” Blue whined, causing them both smile down at him. 

“What’s the matter, bro? Don’t tell me—”

“BROTHER, DON’T YOU DARE!”

“I’m getting under your skin?”

“MWEH!!!”

Mallory guffawed at the outcry and struggled to hold the bristling and wriggling bitty in her arms. Honey was a laughing mess and quickly teleported to her shoulder in a flash of orange light to avoid getting strangled by his brother. She’d known from her research that certain types of bitties could teleport and use strong magic, but it was startling and amazing to see it happen right in front of her. Deciding to ask about it later, she instead went about ordering their food. The boy in front of them that ended up taking their order zoned out as Mal was speaking, staring at her shoulder with wide eyes. 

“Um…excuse me?” Mallory questioned, raising an eyebrow at his lack of professionalism. Hell, she knew she wasn’t the most professional at work, especially when it came to interacting with some of her regulars. Then again, she didn’t just blatantly stare and remain silent until an entire line of people was made uncomfortable. And still, he continued to stare. Blue squirmed in her arms, obviously uncomfortable with the unmoving gaze. Honey visibly bristled and glared at the kid, growing all the more irritated when he didn’t get the message. “Yo! Dude!”

The kid jumped, and his eyes immediately snapped back to her scowling face. He looked vaguely unapologetic for ignoring her and holding up the line but at least tried to pay attention to what she was saying when she ordered again. 

“Um, that’s be $25.57.” His pubescent voice cracked. Ah, she remembered the good ole days when puberty first reared its ugly head. 

Taking out the money and fumbling for exact change, she handed it over and took the receipt that was offered. “Kid, I know they’re cute and all, but staring is kind of rude.” She grimaced. “Maybe try just saying hi next time.”

Once they were at the other end of the counter Honey and Blue finally relaxed. “WHY WAS HE LOOKING AT US LIKE THAT?”

“I don’t think he’s had much of a change to interact with bitties before. I think he was just curious, but it kind of came off weird and creepy.” Mallory frowned. Not to mention rude. But who knows, maybe she used to look at monster the same way when she was that age. God, she hoped she didn’t used to do that. Hoped she still didn’t that. “Sorry, I’m not giving you guys much of a good first impression, am I?”

Honey simply shrugged again. If that was his habit, then it was certainly an odd one. Shrugging was not a response! “It’s not so bad. You saved us and now you’re buying us food. Doing pretty okay in my book.”

“YES, MISS MALLORY! YOU ARE DOING GREAT! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE APPROVES!” The small excited bundle cried, tugging on the fabric of her jacket for emphasis. 

Warmth bloomed in her chest as she picked up the tray of food handed to her and started towards the tables in the center. She was glad that her new little friends were okay with her so far. Prue waved her down and she squeezed through the crowded tables to make it to her seat. It had seemed that when they’d first gotten to the food court that there hadn’t been many people over here, but now it was almost packed. Prue was busy shoveling food into her face while both of her bitties watched in disgusted fascination. The blonde may have been drop-dead gorgeous, but she could eat more food in one sitting than an entire football team. And manage to keep her waist slim! 

Mallory sat down her tray and held her hand out to Blue who had migrated to her unoccupied shoulder so that she could carry the food. The small bitty hopped onto her palm and allowed her to lower him to the surface of the table. She raised her palm again only to find that Honey had somehow managed to end up standing next to his brother a second after she’d sat him down. Huh. Must have been that magic thing again. As she unwrapped the tacos, Blue leaned heavily against the side of the tray with wide and hazy sockets. If he could he probably would have been drooling. Maybe she could cut up the taco into smaller pieces for them. They were rolled soft tacos, so they wouldn’t exactly make much of a mess if she just left them to the whole thing on their own. She didn’t want to seem rude or weird by just cutting up their food for them either, because they weren’t children and they likely wouldn’t appreciate her treating them like they were. 

A small touch on her hand caused her to look down. Honey was giving her hand a small pat before he walked across the tray to pull the taco out of her hand. “We got this, hon.” And he took a monstrous bit out of the corner, chewing away like he hadn’t a care in the world.

Blue had also taken the initiative, chewing away on the end of one of the tacos like he hadn’t eaten in days. He attempted to speak through his full teeth and ended up speaking in some garbled tongue and spewing small bits of tortilla before giving up and simply giving the girl a thumbs-up. Mallory chuckled and unrolled her own meal, taking a bite with a sigh of appreciation. It wasn’t long before Blue had finished off three of the soft tacos in record time, Honey having only ate one and almost half of the quesadilla. Both skeletons seemed to have a distinct love for melted cheese if their empty tray was anything to go by. Prue has long since finished her food and was happily chattering away with Razz, the small bitty giving her a verbal list of the things he wanted her to buy in excruciating detail. 

“Hey, ladies, sorry to bother you.” 

Both girls looked up to see a young man, at least in his 20s, with sandy brown hair and a Taco Bell uniform. He held out a small stack of papers to Mallory, which she took with much confusion. A quick shuffle through them determined that they were coupons for Taco Bell as well as some of the other kiosks around the food court. 

“Um, thanks. But why are you giving these to me?” Mallory asked with a frown. She liked free stuff as much as the next person but the stack he’d handed her was pretty large. 

“Oh, sorry! My name is Milo. I’m the manager at the Taco Bell here. I saw what happened at the counter and wanted to apologize to you and your bitties. I know he was pretty shocked to see them, but that doesn’t excuse anything. So, I would like to offer my apologies on behalf of my crew.” He stammered out nervously, hands animatedly moving throughout his explanation. 

He was certainly a bashful fellow for someone who was meant to be a manager. Mallory accepted the stack with a smile. “Well, thank you. I appreciate the apology.”

“THANK YOU, HUMAN MANAGER SIR! ALSO, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT YOUR TACOS ARE QUITE DELICIOUS!” Blue beamed. He was still holding onto the last quarter of a taco, intent on finishing the rest of it. 

Milo smiled weakly. “Well, thanks little dude. I’m glad you liked the food at least.”

“Yeah, it was pretty good. If you want feedback, then we’d be happy to taco ‘bout it.” Honey slipped in, laying back against the edge of the empty tray. 

The man’s eyes widened, his mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out, looking completely flabbergasted. Blue wailed and tackled his brother, Honey laughed and hardly struggled against the small smacks. 

Mallory chuckled and turned back to the silent manager. “I’m sure they appreciate it too. I don’t know much about bitties other than what I’ve read, but I do know that they aren’t usually treated the way they should be. I think it might be a good idea to speak to some of your staff and keep it from happening again. I know that it wasn’t much this time, but that doesn’t mean that something worse won’t happen next time. Bitties aren’t pets, they’re sentient monsters with feelings. They can be made uncomfortable and uneasy just the same as any other person can. I won’t have any issues coming back and eating again, but I expect the apology to be given to them, not me.”

Milo nodded in understanding, looking more sheepish than he had before. He turned to the brothers, whose attention was now focused solely on the conversation. “I’m sorry for any discomfort you may have over the whole situation. I hope you won’t hold it against us and I ask that you do come back.”

Blue nodded vigorously with a smile on his face while Honey simply shrugged. Milo said his goodbyes and walked away, leaving us to sit by ourselves once more. 

“Wow.” Prue whistled long and low. “Now that was a speech.”

Mallory stiffened. “Wh- no! I wasn’t trying to give one! I-I was just trying to make him understand! If they get a lot of complaints about their staff, then they’ll get shut down or removed or something!”

“You stood up for us, hon. That still means a lot. Not a lot of people get it.” Honey draped himself backwards over the curve of her arm, giving her a thumbs-up without bothering to lift his head to acknowledge or look at her. 

“HUUUUUMAAAAAAAAN!”

The brunette flinched at the long wail and watched as Blue threw himself onto her front, clinging to the neckline of her jacket as he sobbed large blue glowing tears. Oh shit! No no no no no no no! Why?!

“B-Blue?! Why are you crying?!” Stars, she was terrible at comforting people! Please stop crying! 

He lifted his head and sniffled, tears continuing to stream down his cheekbones. “B-BECAUSE I’M SO HAAAAPPYYYYYYYY!” Cries continued, now muffled as he buried his face into her shirt once more. 

Mallory desperately looked to Honey for help. As soon as she saw him though, she swiftly gave up. He was still draped across her arm, only now she swore she could hear soft snores emanating from him. He’d fallen asleep on her in the middle of the food court!!

“Prue! Help me!” She cried, using her free hand to gently tap Blue’s back in a small semblance of comfort. 

The blonde snorted and shook her head, delight sparkling in her green eyes. “Nah, you’ve got this one.”

Damn no-good freeloading best friend. With a sigh she turned back to the hiccupping bitty in her arms. “Blue, it’s okay. You can stop crying now.” She stammered. Why was it so much easier to handle before? “Um…oh! I have an idea! Let’s get some shopping done! Y-You and Honey can both pick out whichever things you want for the house!”

“THANK YOU SO MUUUUUUUUUUUUCH!!!”

He was crying even harder now!! Prue sat across from her with both hands covering her mouth, shoulders trembling and eyes watering from the force of her silent laughter.

“Dammit, Prue! Stop laughing and help me!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prue is no help whatsoever! Also Mallory is a very strong and open-minded person but I'm afraid she is somewhat emotionally stunted. Crying is something that I have a hard time dealing with too. O.O' Just stand there with absolutely no idea what to say or do other than stare awkwardly and maybe give a little pat on the back.


	4. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory finally manages to make it home with the bitties without problems and the boys finally get a chance to see what kind of person adopted them!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is here! I can't remember when the last chapter was posted, and honestly I never thought to check the date on AO3 so.....yeah. I'm only a little bit of an air head sometimes, I swear! I'm just really really really forgetful! So sorry! Please enjoy the chapter!

Shopping had taken up most of the afternoon, the sky starting to darken as they finally left the mall. Now Mallory was wheezing slightly as she hugged multiple bags to her front and scaled the stairs to her apartment. She’d been hoping the elevator would be fixed by the time she was heading back home, but it looked like it was going to be out of commission for a few more days. 

“YOU CAN DO IT, MISS MALLORY! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE BELIEVES IN YOU!”

She would have laughed and said something in return if she could, but as it was she could barely breath. When was the last time she had gone to the gym? Had she always been this out of shape? Another two steps and…there! Both bitties looked around the hallway curiously. It wasn’t anything special, but it was one of the more well-kept building in the area. The floor was hardwood with a dark brown finish, same as the trim and doors. The walls were your standard off-white with the occasional picture hung here and there. Adjusting the bags in her arms, Mallory pulled out her plain apartment key and wiggled it into the slot, grimacing when she had to strain her wrist to turn it the correct way. 

“LET US HELP YOU, MISS MALLORY!”

Blue slid down the sleeve on her arm and held out his small skeletal hand. She was about to tell him he was too small to turn the knob and open the door when there was suddenly a heaviness that seemed to spark and tingle along her skin and in the air. A faint and thin blue shimmer encompassed the entire door as it swung wide open. The feeling and the shimmer disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving her standing in the doorway with her mouth hanging open in silence. 

Honey snickered from his spot on her shoulder. “What’s the matter, hon? Skeleton got your tongue?”

“H-How did you do that?” Mallory gaped, staring down at the suddenly flustered bitty that was clambering back up her arm. 

Blue squirmed under her gaze, finally managing to make it back to her shoulder. “IT’S MAGIC! MOST BITTIES HAVE THE SAME MAGIC AS THE LARGER MONSTERS!”

“Wow. That’s pretty cool.” She whistled, stepping across the threshold and sitting the bags on the table.

As Mallory went about pulling all of their new stuff out of the bags, the small monsters took a minute to look around what was essentially their new home. One of the first things they noticed was how clean everything appeared. Everything was set on shelves and tables neatly and the carpet looked freshly vacuumed. While Blue was still impressed with their new caretaker’s cleanliness, Honey was looking around in only mild interest. He had also noticed the lack of mess but was more so focused on the fact that there was color literally everywhere. Her Livingroom was painted a deep wine red with black and brown accents and furniture. Random pictures and painting were hung along every wall, and though they were in numerous different colors they didn’t seem to clash at all. The kitchen was almost the complete opposite, painted in a light green and white with flowers absolutely everywhere – either in a vase or a picture or as some part of the décor. The hallway looked to be the only colorless part of the apartment he could see, painted in the same standard white as the hallway outside. It appeared Mallory was very…colorful. 

“Okay! Let me show you guys around the apartment and then we can get you all set up!” She gushed with excitement, turning around to give them a full view. “So, pretty obvious, but this is the kitchen and dining room. The door right here is a closet, and the one at the end of the kitchen is the pantry. I usually keep it stocked up since I tend to snack a little more than I should. If you guys want or need anything just help yourselves!” Both brothers gave her a startled and surprised look, which she missed as she was busy chattering away. “All I ask is that if we’re low on something or we’re out then you tell me or try to write it down on the notepad on the counter.”

“You’re just gonna give us free rein of the place?” Honey questioned, not quite believing what he was hearing. Letting them pick their own food and their own stuff came as a surprise, but it made sense to him at the time. Giving them the freedom to do and eat whatever they wanted in the apartment seemed like something else entirely. 

“Yeah, of course.” Mallory said matter-of-factly. “It’s your apartment too, not just mine. We’re gonna end up sharing everything anyway.”

“B-BUT, THIS IS ALL YOURS! WE CAN’T POSSIBLE JUST TAKE WHATEVER WE WANT!”

“Not mine, ours!” She smiled. “I don’t expect to give you permission to do anything here. I want you guys to have the choice. If you want to eat, then eat. If you want to watch tv, then watch the TV. Same with the games and the computer. I’m not just going to give you guys a little corner to call your own and you have to ask to do anything else. My home is your home now.”

Honey took a deep breath and looked around them again. She wasn’t joking with them. She really meant it. Bitties that were returned to the center would often tell stories about their humans were. Most of the time all they heard were stories of abuse and neglect, how they weren’t allowed to do or say anything that might upset their humans. There was even a Boss that had been brought back that acted more like a Cherry by the time the human was done with him. He had wanted this to work out, for Blue and for himself. Being adopted was all Blue had ever wanted, to be taken in and loved by a good human. This was almost too good to be true though. He still almost couldn’t believe it, even now as he sat on her shoulder while she gave them a tour of their home. Not just her home. Their home. 

“Y…YOU REALLY MEAN IT?” Blue stared up at her with a mixture of happiness and hesitation. 

Mallory reached a hand up and gave the side of his skull a gentle stroke. “Yeah, Blue. I mean it.”

Moving on, the brunette walked into the Livingroom. Thank God, she’d made sure to dust and sweep the other day. She gave them a quick walk around, showing them the gaming consoles and the TV, as well as the computer desk in the corner. Honey looked more excited about the prospect of sleeping on her blush black couch than anything else in the room. 

“I usually leave the sliding glass door open in the summer to get some fresh air in the apartment. You guys are welcome to sit outside on the balcony, just be careful not to sit too close to the neighbor’s balcony. They have a cat that likes to sit outside when it’s sunny and I’m not sure if he would attempt to eat you guys.” She grimaced, turning and heading towards the hallway. 

Blue had noticed that while there were a lot of drawing and painting hanging around the house, there weren’t many actual pictures of people. Which is why the single photo hanging on the wall in the hallways immediately caught his attention. “MISS MALLORY, WHO ARE THESE HUMANS?”

Mal paused and turned to face the frame he was pointing to. Four people stood leaning against wooden railing along the edge of an outside porch, a large grassy field and a barn in the distance behind them. The image brought fond memories and a smile to her face. “This picture is from a few years ago. That’s me and Prue on the end. We both ended up cutting our hair really short a couple weeks before this was taken. The guy with blonde hair on the other end is my friend, Daniel. And the one in the middle is my older brother, Jason. You can’t see her because she took the picture, but this is my Aunt Vanessa’s farm.”

“WOWZERS, YOUR BROTHER IS TALL!” Blue gaped. The dark-haired human was at least two heads taller than everyone else in the photo!

“Yeah, he’s about 6’11” now I think.” 

“Does your brother live here too?” Honey asked. His eyelights started looking around the apartment, almost expecting another person to walk out. The place didn’t seem like more than one person lived here, but he could be wrong. 

Mallory shook her head, her hair swishing with the movement and tickling both brothers as they tried to bat the silken strands away. “No, I live alone. Jason lives with his girlfriend the next town over, and Aunt Vanessa still lives on her farm down in Tennessee.”

“OH…” Blue looked slightly saddened by this revelation, tugging on the end of his scarf. “THEY’RE SO FAR AWAY THOUGH. DON’T YOU MISS THEM?”

“Always. They’re my family.” Mallory replied. “But it’s not as if we don’t still find time to see each other. I get calls from my brother frequently and we visit each other a couple times a month. And I usually fly down to see my aunt a few times a year. I actually have a trip planned out in a couple months. We can all go visiting her together.”

Both brothers looked at each other with unease. Most monsters couldn’t fly, skeletons in particular. And bitties couldn’t fly at all. It was something that took up a lot of magic and bitties only had a fraction of what their larger counterparts had. The prospect of being in the air was foreign and frightening. Mallory picked up on their silence and glimpsed down to see their uneasy expressions. 

“Hey, I’m not going to force you guys to go if you don’t want to. If you really wanted to stay here, then I could ask Prue to let you stay with her if you want.” Not that she wanted to. She was really hoping they would want to come with her. Her aunt absolutely adored monsters and would fall in love with the brothers in a heartbeat. Last time she spoke to her aunt she was actually considering adopting. Unfortunately, there weren’t many adoption centers out in the country and her aunt didn’t own a vehicle of her own to drive several hours to the nearest city. 

“Oh, no it’s not that…” Honey grimaced. A light dusting of orange covered his cheekbones at the thought of telling her their fears. It just wasn’t something they ever talked about, especially with a human.

“UM…WE DON’T LIKE HEIGHTS. FLYING IS…” Blue stammered, embarrassment evident in his features. “BITTIES CAN’T FLY LIKE SOME MONSTERS. BEING THAT HIGH UP IN THE AIR…”

It all clicked in her mind in an instant. They were afraid of flying. Or the thought of flying at least. From their initial reaction she knew it was safe to say they’d likely never even been near an airplane before. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m still get anxious when I’m about to get on the plane. But if that’s the case, then we could always just turn it into a road trip! Load up the car and settle in for a really long drive!” She perked up, already trying to come up with some ideas in her head for the trip. “But I do have to warn you, I enjoy singing to the radio and I’m afraid I don’t sound that good. So, you’d better be prepared for hours of absolute horror.”

Blue and Honey both chuckled, the tension in their small frames dissipating as she spoke. She continued on, showing them the hallways closet and the bathroom. Once she opened the door, both brothers were almost instantly enamored with the large porcelain bathtub. The bathroom was big as far as standard apartments were concerned. The bathtub was her absolutely favorite. It was large and spacious, the end tilted up at an angle with a headrest – perfect for long hot bubble baths after a long day at work. There was a straight ledge that went along both sides of the inner wall of the tub that looked just wide enough for the brothers to be able to sit on. The counter was long, with a large sink centered right below a full-sized mirror that encompassed the wall from the edge of the counter to the ceiling.

There were two small closets in the hallway that she made sure to show them as well. It wouldn’t do any good for them to get curious and have her mountains of unsteady junk fall on top of them. One was a simple coat closet that housed all of her extra coats, jackets, shoes, and other winter items. The other was littered with her holiday boxes, tools, and miscellaneous extra bits for the apartment. The got to the last door on the left on the hallway and Mallory grimaced as she gripped the knob. 

“Sorry in advance, but my studio smells like nothing but chemicals and cheap air fresheners.” She apologized as she opened the door, the heavy smell of paint and thinner wafting into the air around them. 

Both skeletons stared in fascination and curiosity. The entire room looked like more of a storage area than a studio. There were cans of paints and jars of brushes littering the floors and shelves all over the room, blank and colorful canvases of various shapes and sizes were leaning up against walls and stacked into messy piles in corners, spots and splatters of paint lined the hardwood floor and what once must have been pristine white walls. Mallory had been right though, a heavy stale chemical smell assaulted both of their nasal cavities to the point that their sockets started to water with colorful tears. Honey had to hold the end of his shirt up in an attempt to stop the bitter smell from making him dizzy. Blue had the same idea, pulling his scarf tightly over the lower half of his face and blinking back tears. 

Mallory was quick to shut the door and use her hand to wave away the smell that started to permeate the hallway. “I’ll open a window in a little bit. I usually keep it aired out to keep it from getting that bad, but we had a lot of rain the past couple of days and I didn’t want the humidity to ruin my canvases. But that would be my studio! I do a lot of freelance painting in my free time, so I usually get holed up in here a lot when I’m home.”

Honey nodded as he attempted to wipe away the tears in his sockets. That explained a lot, considering the wide variety of colors and paintings used in the rest of the apartment. 

“And last but not least, the bedroom.”

Mallory opened the door to reveal the spacious room to the brothers. Her bed was nestled in the far corner with a small nightstand right next to the window, her desk set up in the adjacent corner with her laptop and several more books and sketchpads, and her dresser stood out against the opposite wall next to a small bookshelf and her closet door. This had been the only room that she hadn’t demolished with paint and décor simply for the reason that she was picky about how her room was kept and wasn’t altogether too sure how she wanted to decorate it. So far it had been painted over three times before she gave up and went back to white – opting instead to leave it rather simple before she drove herself crazy trying to constantly redecorate whenever her tastes changed. 

The brunette carried her small companions over to the dresser and ran her hand lightly over the surface. “You guys have free rein of the apartment, but I know you might still want your own space for yourselves. I don’t usually keep anything on the dress, so if it was alright with you I was thinking of keeping your setup right here. I can hang a curtain down from the ceiling or close it off somehow, so you guys can have your privacy.”

“THERE IS SO MUCH SPACE UP HERE! ARE YOU SURE WE CAN USE ALL OF IT?” Blue jumped down from her shoulder, examining the space he had been given. This was more than enough room for both himself and his brother! He wasn’t entirely sure how they were going to use it all!

“Yeah, that’d be cool.” Honey replied, warping onto the surface of the dresser and peering over the edge. “I gotta ask, how are we getting up here without your help?”

“Oh!” She quickly picked up a long wooden…something from the corner and held it up for their inspection. What looked like a small wooden staircase was perched delicately in her hands. Three small ladders connected to three small platforms and an extra thin platform at the very top. “I thought of that, just in case you guys were okay with it! It should be sturdy enough for me to attach to the side of the dresser to use as a little staircase!”

Blue’s sockets widened almost comically as he stared at the wooden contraption presented to them. “HUMAN, YOU MADE THIS?!”

She shrugged and leaned it against the wall next to the dresser. “Yeah, it wasn’t too hard. There’s a store in town where I get all my paint supplies that sells crafting stuff. All I had to do was a bit of cutting, sanding, and use nails and hot glue.” 

Honey chuckled as he listened. Despite how simple she made it sound she sure looked proud of herself for it. Mallory excused herself to go grab their things and swiftly left the room, leaving the two brothers alone. Blue was happily running across the surface of the dresser and staring at everything with bright excited eyelights. Honey still almost couldn’t believe their luck. 

“So, what do you think bro?”

“MISS MALLORY IS THE BEST HUMAN EVER!!” He cheered, latching onto his brother’s sleeve with a bright smile. “SHE’S BEING SO NICE! AND SHE BOUGHT US WHATEVER WE WANTED, AND SHE’S GIVING US OUR OWN ROOMS, AND SHE SAID THIS IS OUR HOME TOO!”

He chuckled, feeling himself relax as he listened to Blue’s excited chatter. He wasn’t sure what to make of Mallory yet, but so far everything was like a dream come true. Only time would tell if she turned out to be true to her word, but he could feel that he and his brother were already starting to enjoy her presence. He counted himself lucky and prayed that it would last.

~*~

It hadn’t taken Mallory very long at all to get their small space set up for them, especially considering how little personal items the bitties actually owned. While at the mall she’d made sure they would have extra clothes and shoes, but while it turns out there was a large market for bitty clothing there wasn’t much as far as anything else. Luckily, she’d spotted a toy store while there and found doll furniture to be the perfect size for them. Beds, dressers, chairs, and tables. Even dishes! She wasn’t even aware that they made dishes for dolls, but they were perfect for the bitties to use! One thing she couldn’t get was any kind of working appliance for them to use, so they wouldn’t have lamps or anything else that ran on electricity that was formatted to their size. Luckily, she did still have a random nightlight that she kept forgetting to get rid of! All she’d had to do was run an extension chord up the back of the dresser, nail it to the wall, and voila! Bitty sized lamp! Then she could hang a long curtain from a hook on the ceiling and they had as much privacy as one could get when living on the top of a dresser in an occupied bedroom. 

Satisfied that everything was nice and done, she bagged up the boxes and containers and made her way back out of the room. Rounding the corner, she caught the steady sound of music and muffled dialog from her television. Honey and Blue were standing curiously on the edge of the coffee table, both hands frozen on the remote as they watched the screen. 

“Hey, you guys figured out how to use the remote.” Mal smiled. Both bitties jumped and shuffled away from the remote, guilt written all over their faces at being caught playing with the small device. She took a quick glance at the screen and turned towards the kitchen, calling over her shoulder. “That’s actually a really good show! You guys might like it! If you want, we can whip up some dinner and find something to watch!”

Tossing the bag into the garbage can, Mallory turned and opened the fridge, doing a quick glance over what she had. It wasn’t much, she would need to go shopping again soon, but she had enough for a decent meal tonight. Oven subs it was. The brunette pulled out the bread and all the lunchmeat and cheese she had, setting it all on the counter. As she turned to reach for the cutting block a sudden flash of orange made her jump and stumble back against the fridge, staring wide eyed at a very smug looking bitty standing next to her stove. 

“What’s cookin’?”

“Well, I was making some sandwiches before someone gave me a heart attack.” She sighed, hand pressed to her chest as she willed her heart to stop beating so fast. She was definitely going to have to get used to that. “What do you guys like to eat? Anything special you want on it?”

Honey shrugged, much to the girl’s dismay. Seriously, what kind of response was that! Mallory simply rolled her eyes and tore off small bits of meat and cheese, laying them on a paper towel for him to try. As she turned to present it to him, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Blue was standing next to him watching her with interest. 

“Just…try these and tell me which ones taste better. I’ll put them on the bread and we’ll pop them in the oven.”

Blue had watched as she laid everything out on the countertop neatly and started prepping the oven. Her hand was practiced as she sliced open the bread and laid each fold out evenly on the stainless-steel sheet. A glob of orange was shoved in front of his face, tearing his focus away from her actions and to the piece of cheese that his brother held out for him.

“Try this one bro. It’s pretty good.” Honey muttered through his own mouthful. 

The shorter of the two gingerly took it from his brother and plopped the small bit in his mouth, groaning at the rich taste. “MISS MALLORY, WHAT KIND OF CHEESE IS THIS?”

The girl in question took a quick peek at the package she had pulled the marbled cheese from and read from the label. “That one is Munster. The white one is Provolone. I think I have some Mozzarella there too.”

At this point even if they only ate slices of cheese they would be satisfied. It was a far sight better than the calcium rich tablets they’d been fed at the center. Blue made a mental note of which cheese was what as he took a bite of each, moving onto the small strips of deli meat. Honey was already on the other counter and pointing out which items he wanted on his sandwich. He glanced back at Blue, the short of the two gesturing to which ones he wanted as Honey relayed the information to Mallory. After a few minutes 3 loaded sub sandwiches were in the oven getting toasted. 

“Alright.” Mallory started as she wiped her hands off on a dish towel. “What should we watch? I have a pretty big collection of movies, but if nothing interests you guys we can always look something up.”

“DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING WITH SUPERHEROES?”

“Surprise me, hon.”

Something with superheroes, huh. She’d had quite a lot of action films, most of which featured comic book heroes of all sorts. Honey was a little vague, but if his taste in movies was anything like his taste in humor, then she knew the perfect movie – or set of movies – that they could all enjoy together. “I’m not sure if you guys are familiar, but have you ever heard of Marvel Comics?”

Both brother shook their heads and watched in startled interest as the young woman ran out of the kitchen and vaulted herself over the back of the couch to the glass case crammed full of movies. There was a triumphant cry followed by the sound of theatrical music. Mal ran back in and took out plates, and pulled the pan from the oven, gathering a few dressings and condiments as she rushed back into the Livingroom once more. Both brothers looked at each other in mild confusion at the sudden change in their caretaker. 

“WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?”

“Not sure. Want to check it out?”

Blue nodded. Honey took his arm, teleporting them a short distance to the kitchen table then to the coffee table. Both bitties watched as the brunette laid blanket after blanket onto the couch, followed by pillow after pillow, until there was nothing short of a small plush nest built up on the small loveseat. 

“UH…HUMAN?”

“Yes?”

“…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

After making sure her little pillow pile was satisfactory, she turned to acknowledge her confused friends. “I’m making a pillow fort! If we’re going to have a movie night, then we might as well do it in the most comfortable way possible!” She threw her arms out to her side in a dramatic flair as if to show off the mass piled high on the couch. Then suddenly she threw herself back and sank into the mass, wrapping blanket after blanket around herself until she looked like some sort of strange and alien cocoon. “Come on! I’m gonna play the movie! Get comfy!”

Honey raised one of his boney eye ridges comically and looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “How exactly do you plan to do that?”

Mallory paused and looked down at her swaddled form. Two small bumps wiggled around as she grunted with effort, struggling to free her hands from where she’d tucked them in. Well…she hadn’t really thought that far ahead. 

The taller skeleton chuckled and tapped a button on the remote still seated on the coffee table. “Need a hand?” 

“If it’s remotely possible, that would be great.” She shot right back with a smirk.

Blue was too busy struggling to climb up the front of the blanket mass to comment on their punny banter, opting instead to make his way up until he was fit snuggly into a fold of fabric on the curve of her chest right below her chin. Honey watched his brother for a moment before shrugging and warping onto Mallory’s shoulder, sliding down a crease until he was reclined next to the other bitty with his hands resting behind his head. 

“WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DID YOU PICK OUT?”

“This is one in a series of movies connected in the same universe. This one is called Iron Man. Starring a witty and sarcastic genius who becomes a vigilante hero. There’s a lot of action and awesome affects and the movie is hilarious.”

Honey settled down as the intro started up, already smiling once he saw the main lead. Blue was already leaning forward and clutching the blankets tightly as he watched with wide sockets. From the looks of it, it was gonna be good movie. 

~*~

Mallory yawned as the credits started rolling, marking the end of the fifth movie they’d played. A quick glance down showed that both skeletons were sound asleep, still tucked firmly against her by all the blankets. It had taken a couple movies for Blue to start dozing off, but she’d thought Honey was wide awake until a few moments ago. Both brothers were laying on their sides facing each other. Honey had one arm slung over Blue’s shoulders while Blue was gripping the front of his shirt tightly in his sleep. The brunette smiled softly and wiggled her arms free as gently as she could, scooping both bitties up into her hands. After a small struggle with kicking the layers of fabric away from her feet, she was finally able to make it down the hall to the bedroom, taking care to lay both brothers into their new beds and tuck them in carefully. Shuffling off her jeans and pulling on a pair of shorts, Mallory laid down and snuggled into her own bed, sighing in relief at how nice the cool sheets felt against her skin. Just as she began to close her eyes, a small voice sounded out from her dresser. 

“GOOD NIGHT, MISS MALLORY.”

She smiled, spotting the glowing eyelights within the open curtain of the boys’ little room. “Good night, Blue.” And even though she knew he was already in deep sleep, she spoke again. “Good night, Honey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mallory has a very small family that somewhat concerns Blue - I wanted to make this something that he thinks about and instead tries to make himself present so that Mallory isn't lonely. He and Honey both came from a small bitty shop and they didn't get to interact with each other much but they were still surrounded by a bunch of other bitties that I feel they would come to think of as very close friends or other members of their family. :) 
> 
> I also wanted to add a small movie night because I strongly feel that it's fairly easy to understand what type of person someone is depending on their taste in movies. The same can be said for their taste in books or music! 
> 
> I'll try to add the next chapter much sooner than I added this one! Again, so sorry! I'm trying to make sure I post enough and write enough ahead so that I can post regularly before my classes start for the Fall quarter! Thank you for your patience!


	5. Work, work, work, work, work, work~!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paradise can't last forever. Eventually reality has to set in. For Mallory that reality is that she has to go back to work after a long weekend with the boys. Only problem is they don't want her to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this in hour I have between class and work! Ugh, ethics class kicks my butt and I've only just started! But I promised I would post regularly, and here it is! Still unregular but hey, I had time! :) Chapters will be uploaded on weekends instead of weekdays because I have homework and work second shift during the week! Enjoy!

The first night had passed by quickly for the trio. As had the second and third, ending similarly to how the first did. Blue would help Mallory cook and clean, Honey would watch as she worked on a few paintings, they talked more about Mallory’s family, and everyone would end the day cuddled up on the couch finishing another series of movies before going to bed. This morning, Mallory had actually ended up waking up with Blue snuggled up in the crook of her neck, holding tightly to the collar of her shirt in his sleep. The sight had been so adorable that she couldn’t help but snap a picture to keep to herself. And send to Prue. But still. 

Her weekend felt like it was much too short, but what a peaceful few days it had been. Honey was still somewhat reserved, but he spent most of his time either napping in Mallory’s hood or standing on her shoulder. The taller bitty liked to watch and include the occasional pun, and she found that he opened up to her much more when she would joke with him. He especially seemed to enjoy her art jokes, and boy did she have a colorful array of those. Pun intended. Blue was a little bundle of questions and excitement, wanting nothing more than to help Mallory out with what he could and ask her about anything and everything he could think of. It seemed the bitty was especially curious about her personal preferences. What movies she liked, why she liked painting, what her favorite food was, etc. In a matter of days, the brunette had gotten horribly attached to both of them – which led her to her current predicament. The three had been practically inseparable since day one, and now she was going to have to go back to work. Without them. 

“I have to go back to work first thing tomorrow morning, guys.” She admitted, hands busy cutting up small pieces of fruit. 

Blue picked up a strawberry from its plastic container, helpfully carrying it over to the cutting board. “WHERE DO YOU WORK, MISS MALLORY?” 

“I work at a small bakery. It’s not far, just a 10-minute walk from here actually.” She replied, taking the fruit from his hands with a quiet thank you.

“OOH! DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE’LL GET TO SEE THE BIG KITCHEN?!” He gasped, staring up at her with large glowing stars in his sockets. “CAN I HELP MAKE MORE COOKIES?! I PROMISE NOT TO EAT ANY OF THE ICING THIS TIME!”

This brought a smiled to her face. Blue had helped Mallory make sugar cookies the other day, but they’d ended up running out of icing due to her little helper sneaking a small handful every time she turned around. Mallory had known that he was taking small tastes judging by the smears of blue and orange that littered his face, but she’d said nothing of it. Once they had ran out, he had confessed on his own, on the verge of guilty tears. And good lord, had that nearly made her heart explode. He was, of course, forgiven instantly and given a cookie. 

“I’m sorry, Blue, but you won’t be able to come to work with me.” She frowned. 

His face fell instantly. “WHY NOT?”

Mallory felt a small ache in her chest at seeing the crestfallen look on his face. If there was any way she could take them with her she would have done it. Anything to keep him from making that heartbreaking face. “Believe me, I wish I could bring you guys along with me. I did ask the owner, but he told me that you’d have to stay home.” 

A small hand pressed against the side of her face as Honey stood from his previously seated position on her shoulder. “How long with you be gone?” Even he was disappointed that they wouldn’t be able go with her. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he’d gotten far too used to being with Mal – whether it was listening to her hum as she worked or talk to Blue as she went about her day. The idea of suddenly being deprived of her presence made his soul constrict uncomfortably. The simple fact of the matter was that even though it had only been a few days they would miss Mallory. A lot. 

“I open up the bakery, so my shift starts at 6:00 AM. I’ll be back at 12:30, so I’ll be just in time to make lunch.” She tried to smile reassuringly but knew that it came out more like a grimace. Prue had once told her that she’d had the worst poker face in the world. “I’ll make you guys a snack in the morning to hold you off until I can make you a decent meal when I get home.” 

“ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVE TO GO?”

The brunette sighed, setting down the knife and picking up Blue. She allowed Honey to step down onto her waiting palm so that she could hold both close. “I do. I wish I didn’t. As nice as it would be to not have to go I need to make money, so we can eat and have a roof over our heads. I have to pay for rent somehow. 

Blue sighed and held tightly to her thumb. “OKAY...CAN YOU TAKE A PICTURE SO THAT I CAN STILL SEE THE KITCHEN?”

Mallory chuckled, her finger giving a light caress along his spine. “Of course. How about I bring back something sweet for you guys too?”

This seemed to cheer up some, the small bitty starting to go into detail about what he would like her to bring back. Honey, however, remained silent in her arms. Instead he opted to doze off listening to the steady thrum of her soul as she patiently listened to his brother. He knew there was nothing he could do about her having to leave, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. 

 

~*~

 

The time came when Mallory’s alarm signaled the start of the day. She was dressed in her uniform and ready to go in under 20 minutes, going about making a small snack and placing it on the lowermost shelf of the fridge for easy reach. She wiped her hands with a rag and went about grabbing her purse, making sure she had everything she needed for work that day. 

“Alright, Blue. Your food is in the fridge and the pantry is stocked, I also left a little breakfast on the table. You guys should be set until I get back from work.”

Blue stood on the arm of the couch and waved to her as she opened the front door. “GOODBYE, MISS MALLORY! HAVE A GOOD DAY AT WORK!”

Mallory smiled and raced over to give a small kiss to the top of his skull, causing the bitty to sputter and glow with embarrassment. “I’ll be back as soon as you know it! I’ll miss you guys!”

And she was gone, out the door with a final wave and a jangle of keys. Blue jumped down from his perch and raced to the bedroom, taking the small stairs up the side of the dresser two at a time. He insistently shook the covered lump that his was brother, eager to initiate his plan.

“BROTHER, QUICKLY! WAKE UP! OUR HUMAN IS LEAVING!” 

Honey groaned and sat up, rubbing sleepily at his sockets as he yawned. He hadn’t been able to sleep well the night before and was still immensely tired. “Bro, we already knew she had to go to work today. She told us last night.”

Blue groaned in frustration, tugging on the front Honey’s shirt until he was dragging him out of bed and across the surface of the dresser over to the edge. “JUST HURRY UP AND FOLLOW ME! I’VE COME UP WITH A BRILLIANT PLAN! WE’RE GOING TO FOLLOW HER TO WORK!” He threw Honey’s jacket at him and started pulling him down the stairs by his arm before the taller skeleton had even fully woken up. “WE WILL STAY OUT OF SIGHT AND PROTECT HER WHILE SHE WORKS! SHE WON’T NOTICE WE’RE THERE AND WE’LL BE BACK HOME BEFORE SHE REALIZES IT!”

Honey stopped once they reached the bottom of the stairs. Blue tugged on his arm with grunts of effort before his cried out his frustration and turned to look at his confused brother with a pout, hands perched firmly on his hips.

“COME ON! I KNOW YOU DON’T TO STAY HERE WITHOUT HER EITHER!”

Honey deliberated, torn between staying home or just going along with his brothers plan. They’d never been outside on their own before, and if they got lost then they’d be in danger and Mallory would be worried sick when she found out. Or worse, angry that they’d left the house. The apartment felt empty and cold, the silence stretching on in the open space. The warmth and safety that he’d come to associate with the dwelling seemed so hollow and uninviting now. 

“BROTHER, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE HER IF WE DO NOT HURRY!”

He shrugged on his hoodie and nodded his head. “Yeah, alright. Let’s go.”

The both took off to the Livingroom, stopping only to grab their shoes before they were out the sliding glass door and sliding down the gutter. Mallory was only a few feet down the sidewalk, bent down to tie her shoe. 

“So, what’s the plan, bro?”

“STAY LOW AND CLOSE TO THE BUILDINGS! NOT MANY HUMANS ARE AWAKE THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING, SO WE SHOULD BE FINE AS FAR AS BEING SPOTTED BY STRANGERS!” Blue was practically vibrating with excitement, bouncing lightly on the heels of his boots as he stared focused on Mal. “SILENCE IS KEY! KEEP UP WITH HER TO AVOID LOSING HER AND GETTING LOST BUT STAY OUT OF SIGHT TO KEEP FROM BEING CAUGHT!”

Honey nodded beside him, watching as Mallory stood and adjusted her clothing before continuing on. They both took off, running along the walls of the buildings she passed, ducking around cars and mailboxes, and jumping over cracks in the sidewalk. This was admittedly harder than either had anticipated. Their human’s footsteps were much larger than theirs and her pace was faster. Luckily, Mallory only lived 10 minutes from the small bakery. Both bitties panted with exertion as they hid around the corner of the building, watching as the brunette took out a ring of keys from her bag and started fiddling with the lock on the glass door. The door swung open and Blue rushed forward, skittering between her feet and ducking behind a garbage can just inside the door. Honey warped through the door before it closed, sliding in next to his brother and keeping an eye on Mallory. The girl was none the wiser and closed the door, locking it behind her. Both brothers gave a sigh of relief and dashed around the counter just as she walked behind it and into the kitchen. 

“UP THERE!” Blue whispered, pointing to the large heated box against the wall behind the counter. “IT’LL BE HIGH ENOUGH THAT WE CAN SEE EVERYTHING, AND SHE WON’T BE ABLE TO SPOT US!”

Honey nodded, taking his brothers arm and disappearing in a flash only to appear on top of the warm surface before Mallory stepped back out of the kitchen. Once situated, they settled in and watched their human start up the ovens and open the register. 

 

~*~

 

After a few short hours, both brothers had discovered that surveillance was incredibly boring. Not much had happened from the time Mallory had unlocked the doors to now. Occasionally someone would walk in and order something, but for the most part all she did was clean and prepare pastries. Admittedly, it was interesting watching her work. She had a certain finesse when cooking that was similar to the way she painted, almost as if cooking was just another form of art to her. But there was only so much they could observe before boredom started to set in. The only thing keeping Honey from falling asleep was the occasional sound of the bell tinkling above the door when someone walked in or left, the sound reverberating through the front of the store and startling him awake. Blue was also bored, but also becoming increasingly agitated. There was dust and dirt all over the tops of the machines, including the one they were perched on. His pants and shoes were smudged in a light film of grime every time he moved, and he was itching to clean. Not only that, but he was almost desperate to help Mallory cook! He was her little assistant! She needed his…well, assistance! 

“Bro check it out.”

Honey’s voice broke him from his fretting, directing his attention to a tall man with blonde hair that was making his way behind the counter. He wore the same uniform as Mallory. After a second of scrutinizing his appearance, Blue made the realization that this was the same boy from the photo in the hallway at the apartment. What was his name? D-something. 

“SHE NEVER MENTIONED THAT THEY WORKED TOGETHER.” He muttered quietly, narrowing his sockets as the boy smiled and laughed at something their human said. 

“You’re in early!” Mallory shoved his arm playfully. “I never thought I would see the day when Daniel Sheffield would not only be on time to work, but early at that.”

The blonde human, Daniel, rolled his eyes and busied himself tying the strings of his apron around his back. “Yeah, well, I needed to get an early start yelling at you.”

“Yelling at me? What did I do this time?” The brunette smirked and started taking her apron off, more than eager to get back home. “The whole place is spotless, and you’re prepped for the afternoon.”

“Not about work.” The smile turned into a grimace as he crossed his arms. “I’m talking about you adopting bitties. Prue told me about what happened at the mall.”

Both brothers looked at each other. What would the human have to yell about that involved them?

“Yeah, I was going to call you and tell you about what happened, but we were busy getting settled in.” Mallory smiled and continued grabbing her things. “I can’t wait for you to meet them! They’re both amazing and they have great personalities! You’d get along great with Blue! He likes to scold me for being lazy just like you do!” She laughed.

“Mallory, I’m not going to meet your bitties.”

The girl finally stopped and turn to get a good look at her friend, hearing the coldness and disapproval clearly in his tone. “Woah, what’s with the attitude?”

“What do you expect? I already made it clear how I felt about bitties. Did you really think I was going to be happy with your decision? On top of what happened at the mall! Yeah, don’t think Prue left that part out! You assaulted someone!” Daniel seethed, eyebrows pinched together in irritation. “What if that guy was dangerous! You could’ve been hurt!”

Honey and Blue exchanged looks before glancing back at the ensuing argument. It appeared Mallory’s human friend did not see things the way that she had. Neither brother could keep the guilt from settling into their souls as they listened to him speak. They hadn’t thought about the possibility of her getting hurt to save them. Hell, Honey hadn’t even been conscious when it happened. Blue had been too scared to think straight, huddled next to his brother and crammed against the other bitties that had been in the bag with them. 

“If you’re expecting to apologize and say I regret it, then you’re sorely mistaken.” Mallory snapped. She didn’t like the tone he was giving her. “Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about if he was dangerous or not. You should have seen how they were crammed into that bag! They were terrified, and Honey was even hurt! I wasn’t going to just stand on the sidelines and let him kidnap them! Who knows what would have happened to them if I didn’t do something!”

“You’re not listening! You could have been hurt! That guy was obviously a criminal! What if he had a gun?!”

“I am listening, I just don’t care! Just like you don’t care that they could have been killed or tortured or used in illegal fights! They’re lives were in danger! You act like they don’t even matter!” Mallory snapped, fists balled together tightly at her sides. How could he stand here and act so completely ignorant? She understood that he was worried about her. Any other time his worry would have been appreciated and even touching. But the fact that he would so lightly tell her that she should have just let that bastard take them and do whatever he pleased infuriated her. 

“Please, Mallory, they can use magic! They had a better chance of getting away than a human kid! They would have been fine!”

“You don’t know that! And that’s not the point! The point is I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to them and did something about it!”

“Yeah, something stupid! People die by putting themselves at risk for other people, Mal! Hell, they aren’t even people! You put yourself at risk for a damn pet!”

Mallory seethed, picking up the cleaning rag she’d left on the counter and throwing it at him as hard as she could. Not even seeing the look of shock on his face could quell the rage that had steadily built inside her at hearing his words. “Fuck you, Daniel! I swear to God, if you even say something like that again-!” 

“HUMAN! LANGUAGE!”

“Sorry, Blue!” She huffed, habit forcing her to reply before her brain could catch up. “Daniel, how can you say something like that…when…”

Both brothers tensed as Mallory trailed off, her frame becoming rigid and her eyes going wide and realization set in. Shoot! Blue hadn’t meant to butt in and blow their cover! Mallory had such a potty mouth that it was hard not to scold her! It just blurted out of his mouth before he realized what was happening! Mallory whipped her head around and searched frantically. Honey stiffened as she looked up and her wide blue eyes settled firmly on both of them, Blue covering his mouth with both hands guiltily. Honey waved and attempted to smile.

“Hey, hon.”

“Blue?! Honey?! Mallory blanched, racing to the machine and holding her arms out for both of them. “What-!” How did you guys get in here?! I thought you were at home!”

Honey warped himself onto her shoulder as Blue jumped into her waiting arms. Relief flooded through both brothers at finally having the physical contact that they’d become so accustomed to in such a short time. The happiness they felt at being doted on by the frantic girl was soon replaced with guilt as they saw the worry on her face.

“W-WE’RE SORRY, MISS MALLORY! WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE LEFT AT HOME WITHOUT YOU. WE MISSED YOU…” Blue held tightly to the finger closest to him but couldn’t look her in the eyes. He didn’t mean to worry her. But honestly, he was more afraid of seeing anger or disappointment than anything else.

“We wanted to make sure you were safe…” Honey replied. He glared over her shoulder as she checked him over nervously, making sure Daniel saw as he placed a possessive hand on her cheek. No one was allowed to treat her like that. Especially in front of him and Blue. 

“Aw, I missed you guys too…” Mallory sighed, smiling as she held both boys close. She’d been worried about them all morning, feeling a dull ache in her chest every time she looked at the clock and realized she still had to wait to be able to see them again. She could be angry with them later. Right now, all she wanted to do was hold them. 

“Christ, Mallory, they’re going to cost you your job!” Daniel snapped. He hadn’t missed the look the orange bitty have given him, causing something in him to just…boil over. “What if Victor sees them! You can’t afford to lose your job over them! How are you going to pay for your apartment! You should have just left them with the proper authorities at the mall!”

“DON’T YELL AT OUR HUMAN!” Blue chastised, sockets narrowing on the young man. He didn’t have any right to speak that way to her!

“Don’t call her that! She has a name!” He bellowed back, irritation flaring.

Blue flinched as Daniel’s anger was suddenly aimed at him. Despite wanting to protect their human, he couldn’t help but shrink into her arms, feeling the small tears build up in the corners of his sockets. Honey growled and tensed, sockets sparking with magic as he glared at the blonde. Mallory was quick to hold them closer to her chest, shieling them with her hands.

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at him!” She snapped, furious gaze settled firmly on him. “They can call me whatever they like! Just who do you think you are, talking to them like that!”

Daniel was shocked, hurt settling over his expression as his friend glared hatefully at him. Sure, they’d had arguments, but he’d never seen her this angry before. Especially at him. “Are you seriously choosing them over me right now? We’ve been friends for years! You’ve known them, what, a few days?”

“Daniel, if you were really my friend then I wouldn’t have to choose to begin with.” She scoffed. “Hell, we wouldn’t even be having this argument!” 

“What the hell is going on out here? I can hear you two yelling from outside!”

Mallory and Daniel stiffened and turned to see a smartly dressed man standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, a disapproving gaze settled on them both. Blue and Honey both shrank in Mallory’s arms, remaining silent. This human looked important. Mal’s soul thrummed unsteadily where they were pressed against her front, and that was not a good sign. 

“M-Mr. Swanson. Hello, sir.” She stuttered, willing her heart to stop hammering in her chest. “I-I’m sorry, it’s my fault. It won’t happen again.”

“What has gotten into you two? I know the place is empty right now, but you need to be professionals.” Victor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. “You two have always worked well together. What’s got you both so riled up that you’re starting fights at work, and in the front of the store no less!”

“Well, you see, sir-.”

Mallory started. Victor held up a hand and silenced her in an instant, his faze firmly settled on the small forms in her arms. 

“Mallory, I thought I told you that you couldn’t bring them here.”

“Yes, I know! I didn’t-!”

“Please, I’m used to hearing excuses from Sam, I don’t need to hear them from you. Take them home, I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.” The man sighed, irritation evident in his tone.

“WAIT! PLEASE, SIR! SHE DIDN’T BRING US HERE!” Blue piped up from her arms, drawing the attention of all three humans. “WE FOLLOWED HER HERE! SHE DIDN’T KNOW!” He wiggled out of her grip before she could stop him and hopped onto the countertop. “PLEASE DON’T BE ANGRY WITH OUR HUMAN, SHE FOLLOWED YOUR RULES! WE JUST MISSED HER AND DIDN’T WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!”

Victor looked taken aback, as did Daniel. Mallory was tense, watching her boss carefully as he stared down at her precious little Blue, ready to grab him at the slightest movement from her boss. She didn’t think he would do anything to harm the small bitty, but right now fear had settled heavily in her mind and she was prepared for the worst. As the man opened his mouth to speak there was a high-pitched squeal from the doorway. 

“Oh my god, is that a bitty?!” A young blonde peeked her head from around Victor’s side, a wide smile on her face. “He’s so cute! Can I please hold him?”

Seeing the opportunity, Honey warped down from Mallory’s hold to stand next to his brother. “Course you can. Gotta buy something first though, sweetheart.” He smirked, winking at the suddenly blushing girl. 

Blue quickly caught onto his brother’s actions, smiling widely at the blonde. “I-I RECOMMEND THE BLUEBERRY FRITTER! IT’S MY FAVORITE!”

“I’ll take one!” She gushed as she raced up to the counter, bending down so she could get a good look at both bitties. 

“Can I hold him if I buy something too?”

“Me too! Can I take a picture with him?”

Mallory stared as five more girls gathered around the counter, pulling out their wallets as they cooed at both brothers. She quickly stepped forward, taking money and handing them their food as they chattered excitedly. Victor stood to the side of the counter, watching with interest as the bitties interacted with the girls. Honey would wink and flirt, causing one or more to blush or squeal with delight at his antics. Blue was passed gently from one set of hands to another, being his usual cheerful self. When one girl offered him a bite of her cookie, he took it gladly, letting her feed him instead of taking it himself. After a while everyone shuffled out with a wave and quick goodbyes, a couple of them buying a few more pastries on the way out. 

As soon as the girls were gone, Mallory stepped forward and apologized to her boss once more. “I’m so sorry, sir. I’ll take them back home. It won’t happen again.”

“Actually, if either of them wouldn’t mind, perhaps you would like to start bringing them with you from now on.”

“Sir…?” The brunette questioned, unsure if she’d heard him correctly.

“After all, bitties are becoming so popular. Their appearance here might just be good for business, get us more customers in the morning when we’re at our slowest. They seem polite enough. I don’t think there will be any problems with it, do you?” He asked, looking down at the brothers. “That was very well played, boys.”

Honey smirked, tucking his hands into his pockets with a shrug. “Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.” 

“Ha! I like you, son!” Victor snorted, slapping his hand on the counter with a smile. 

Mallory stared in disbelief at the exchange, stuttering as she spoke. “U-uh…thank you, sir! If you’re sure it’s okay, I’ll definitely bring them with me!”

Daniel stepped forward, a frown etched onto his face. This was not how he expected this was going to go down when he saw the man walk in. “Sir, are you sure that’s a good idea? Aren’t there health hazards and sanitation issues with them being here? What if they start to use magic and something breaks, or someone gets hurt?”

“They aren’t animals, Daniel.” Mallory hissed through gritted teeth. The last thing she needed was for him to open his mouth right now. She was still far too angry with him. 

“He has a valid point, Mallory. Daniel, there won’t be any problems with it. No sanitation issues will be had because they will be staying at the front of the store with Mallory and not in the kitchens. There are far too many machines and hazards, we don’t want to endanger their safety while they’re here. As for magic, I see no reason why they can’t use it to help out or entertain customers so long as no one is harmed, and nothing is broken.” Victor turned to Mal. “That being said, I still expect the same amount of work from you, regardless of them being here. Just make sure to keep an eye on them.”

“WE CAN REALLY STAY?” Blue asked hopefully.

Victor nodded and readjusted his tie. “Yes, you can stay.”

“WOWZERS! THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR! YOU WON’T REGRET IT!”

“Let’s hope not. I expect to see you boys bright and early tomorrow morning.” He smiled. “I will see you both tomorrow.”

And he was back out the door, waving as he strode to his car. Mallory felt herself slump against the counter in relief. That had gone…far better than she’d expected. She was extremely grateful for Honey and his quick thinking. 

“HUMAN?”

Mallory glanced down to see both brothers standing at the edge of the counter, one guilty and one sheepish but both avoiding her gaze. 

“Sorry we snuck out…” Honey grimaced. He wasn’t sorry that they’d followed her. He was more upset that they’d worried her and managed to cause so much trouble for her. 

“Y-YES! DON’T WORRY, WE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS!” Blue nodded his head in agreement. 

“You’re right. You guys shouldn’t have snuck out. And you shouldn’t have followed me to work when I told you that you couldn’t come with me.” She spoke quietly, stepping closer to them. 

Both skeletons flinched at her words, disappointment settling over them. The last thing they wanted was to upset her or make her angry with them. Mallory knelt down and carefully placed her arms around them, pulling them close. Both stiffened and looked up at her in surprise when she smiled sadly down at them.

“What if something would have happened to you on the way here? You could have been run over or stepped on or picked up by a random person and I would have never seen you again.” She whispered, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. That thought alone made her heart constrict painfully in her chest and she had to fight back the tears that were threatening to gather in her eyes, blinking them away before they could fall. “I would have never known what happened to either of you. Coming home to find both of you gone would have broken my heart. I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but I care about you guys too much to lose you so soon.”

Tears had been gathering steadily in Blue’s sockets, and at her final words they started to trail down his cheekbones. Hiccups erupted from his throat and he sniffled, wiping at his face with his scarf. “W-WE’RE SO SORRY, MISS MALLORY! WE PROMISE NOT TO WORRY YOU A-ANYMORE!”

Honey had pulled his hood up over his head and was using it to hide her view of his face. He nodded, agreeing with his brother’s words. They hadn’t thought about what might happen to them if they’d been caught or hurt, they’d just wanted to be with her as much as they could. He hated how horrible he felt that they’d worried her so much, and that scared him. It had only been a few days. A few days and they were already so attached to her, and her to them. It was terrifying but comforting at the same time. He wanted it to go away but the thought of not being able to have Mallory with them made his magic churn uncomfortably within him. 

“Please don’t cry.” She chuckled, struggling to keep more tears at bay. She wiped the tears from Blue’s cheekbones and smiled when he latched onto her hand and rubbed his face into her palm as he sniffled. She tugged on Honey’s jacket, trying to get him to look up at her, but all he did was shuffle forward and lean into her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go home.”

As she picked up both brothers and grabbed her purse, no one noticed the scowling blonde watching the doorway to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Daniel is kind of a dick here but let's face it, we all know somewhat who is afraid of change or things they don't understand. No worries, though! Eventually I'm sure Mallory and the bros will get him to see things their way! Although it may take a lot of time and several chapters to do it! Don't hate him, he's just looking out for Mal! He's just...looking out for her in his own way even if it's not the nicest way.


	6. For Whom The Phone Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bath time, bros! Some awkward and cute Blue things going on here. Followed by the drunken shenanigans of the D man!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this chapter pretty much right after the other one cause I feel bad that I keep getting too caught up to do this regularly. Hehe, don't hate me. ^-^' 
> 
> From now on all chapters will be posted on Sundays! I hate posting once a week and on a Sunday no less, but I really need to give myself the remainder of my time to complete school work! I wanted to set aside time to absolutely continue writing these because I love them so much! <3

The rest of the week passed in a similar fashion. Mallory would go to work with the boys, try to work and keep an eye on them for the next 6-8 hours, then take them home and do chores around the apartment or work on some of her paintings. Not once had she heard a complaint that whole week, even when Honey was forced out of bed at an ungodly hour so that she could make it to work on time. Both brothers at least seemed to have a good time while they were at the bakery. On top of that, because both of them were so cute, she made easily triple the amount in tips that she used to. After a couple days, Victor had even allowed the boys to take something off the shelf to eat when it was her turn to take lunch. Blue had been through the roof and half way to the moon in his excitement. Honey was a bit more reserved, but Mallory had caught him starting at the honey glazed donuts on more than one occasion. 

That wasn’t the only thing that had changed. The brunette had started to ignore the slew of text messages and phone calls she would receive from Daniel. Where they would sometimes go to break together or have the occasional lunch, she spent it with the boys or went out of her way to avoid him. Luckily, with the sudden influx of business at the bakery he didn’t get much of a chance to leave the kitchen to attempt to speak to her. After finding out about what happened, Prue was much the same in the exception that she would still respond. She was usually very short, with clipped one-word answers. There was one time that Razz had picked up her phone while she was in the shower and told him off via text, in all capital letters apparently. The small bitty was fiercely protective and highly jealous of Prue. Similar behavior that she was starting to notice in her own companions. 

Since the incident earlier that week they’d taken to sticking closer to her at home and even closer at work. It hadn’t been much of an issue, at least up until now. Mallory had started to find herself overworked and exhausted since business had picked up, often coming home to make dinner and going to bed earlier than usual so that her tired body could recover. Today was no exception as she took the time to settle into a nice hot bubble bath with a few scented candles and one of her favorite books. Or that’s what she attempted to do. Tiny hands tapped against the bathroom door, causing her to groan in frustration at the interruption. 

“MISS MALLORY? YOU’VE BEEN IN THE BATHROOM FOR SO LONG NOW! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Came Blue’s concerned voice from under the door. 

“I’m fine, Blue! Just taking a bath!” She called back. 

“PERFECT! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE WILL JOIN YOU!” 

Before she could respond, the locked clicked on the door and the hinge whined as it was swung open enough for him to fit through. Mallory scrambled to pool the bubbles over her nude form before he could climb to the edge of the tub. 

“Uh, I don’t think that’s such a good idea Blue.” She sighed.

He paused in the midst off his shirt. “HUH? WHY NOT?”

“Because baths are…private. They’re meant to be taken alone.” Why did this feel so awkward to explain? It was because she was naked, for goodness sake! Maybe because she’d never had to explain something like this before? She couldn’t exactly come out and say it was because she didn’t want him to see her naked or because she was a girl and he was a boy. She’d seen both brothers’ bare bones plenty of times when they were changing or bathing. That wouldn’t exactly make sense to them. 

“OH, I KNEW THAT! HONEY EXPLAINED IT TO ME!”

Oh, dear God. “H-He did? What exactly did he say?”

“HE SAID THAT BATHS ARE ONLY TO BE SHARED BETWEEN SPECIAL FRIENDS! AND WE ARE SPECIAL FRIENDS, SO WE CAN SHARE A BATH TOO!” He explained with a confident nod of his head, continuing to shed his shirt and scarf and set them off to the side in a neat pile. 

“Blue, I don’t think that’s how he meant it…” Either Blue didn’t understand what his brother was trying to say, or Honey was pulling a fast one on both of them. Either way, she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep from trying to smother the taller bitty. 

Blue’s face fell, his eyelights dimming slightly. “SO…WE AREN’T SPECIAL FRIENDS?”

Yep, definitely going to suffocate a bitty tonight. Damn him and his poor explanation. Damn her and her poor explanations! Mallory was quick to brace a hand behind Blue, using a finger on her other hand to brush lightly against his skull. “No, of course we are! That wasn’t what I meant!” She smiled. “Honey meant special friend as in…uh, the romantic kind.”

Blue’s sockets widened in understanding, “Oh, you mean like mates!”

Mates? She wasn’t entirely sure that would be considered the same thing. She was sure she’d heard the term used when watching the discovery channel, but she was sure that was somehow different. Regardless, she nodded in agreement. If it would help him to understand a little better, then who was she to disagree and possibly confuse him even more with her poor explanations. 

“I UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS REFFERING TO NOW! BUT RAZZ AND ATLAS TAKE BATHS WITH MISS PRUE!” His understanding quickly faded to puzzlement once more. “SO WHY CAN’T I TAKE ONE WITH YOU?”

Mallory frowned and tried to think back. When had she last hung out with Prue? How did Blue know that they all took baths together? Heck, she didn’t even know they did that! By now Blue was looking at the steaming water with such longing that she didn’t have the heart to question it anymore. With a sigh she held her hand out against the edge of the tub for him. 

“Alright, come on. We don’t want the water to get cold.”

His starry sockets glowed, and his smile widened to cover the entire lower half of his face. After a quick struggle to take off his shorts, he was sitting in her palm and leaning against her bent fingers for support. As soon as she lowered him into the water he sighed in content and closed his socket, basking in the warmth. 

“Water we doing in here?”

“BROTHER! YOU ARE RUINING OUR BATH WITH YOUR PUNS!” Blue squawked with indignation, leaning up over Mallory’s fingers to glare at his brother over the lip of the tub. 

He perked up, seeing his brother amidst the bubbles. “Oh, yeah? Count me in.”

“Wait, Honey-!”

There was a splash by her feet at the end of the tub, a pile of clothing laying on the tile floor where he’d been standing a moments ago. He had actually teleported right out of his clothes and into the bath. The taller of the brothers lay floating in the water on his back with his sockets closed, almost lost within the expanse of white bubbles. Blue shimmied up her bent leg to rest on her knee as he watched his brother. 

“I didn’t know you could swim, Honey.” She said as she watched him between the gaps in her legs, trying to avoid her leg accidentally knocking into him. “I just assumed you guys would sink.”

“Heh. I can’t imagine why. The water just goes right through me.” He smirked.

Blue groaned and let his skull fall onto her knee. “BROTHER…WHY MUST YOU DO THIS?”

“Because Mal likes them.”

Blue lifted his skull and turned to find his human sitting with her hand covering her mouth, shoulders trembling with silent giggles. “NO! YOU ARE ENCOURAGING HIM! MISS MALLORY!” He cried with a grimace. “THEY AREN’T EVEN THAT GOOD!”

“I don’t know, Blue. You already knew my sense of humor was pretty dry.”

“THAT WASN’T EVEN A WATER PUN!!!”

Honey chuckled with Mallory as Blue’s flailing sent him sliding down her leg into the water with a small splash. The smaller skeleton sputtered and stood on the flat of her stomach, wiping the bubbles off his face. They all stopped when a buzzing echoed through the room. 

“Want me to get that?” Honey offered, lifting his head to look at her vibrating phone on the sink. 

“No, thank you. It’s probably just Daniel again.” She grimaced, sinking further into the water.

“HAVE YOU STILL NOT SPOKEN TO HIM?”

Mallory shook her head. “No. And I don’t intend to. For the moment anyway. I’m still very upset with him for what he said, and I don’t intend to forgive him for that for a long time.”

“IS IT BECAUSE OF US?” 

Mallory frowned at the tone Blue’s voice had taken on. Honey must have caught it too because he was giving his brother a look of concern. Mallory sat up slightly, careful to keep the bubbles in place, and lifted Blue up so that he was level with her face. 

“No, sweetie. I’m not mad at Daniel because of you guys. I’m mad at Daniel because of Daniel. He had no right to say the things he did about either of you. It’s not how he feels about you directly, it’s how he feels about all bitties. Sometimes even monsters.” She sighed. “Daniel has always been scared of new things or things he can’t understand. Unfortunately, bitties and monsters are very high on that list. I think that he means well. Most of his fear was for my safety from the way he was speaking. He’s protective, but sometimes he goes about protecting me the wrong way. And sometimes his fear is misplaced. He’s just going to have to understand that both of you are a very big part of my life now, and if he wants to continue to be a part of it he’s going to have get over his irrational fears.”

“Sounds like it’s not the first time you guys have argued over something like this.” Honey raised the boney ridge above his socket. 

Mallory shook her head. “No, it’s not. We had a very similar argument between me, him, and Prue the first time she went to college. She decided to stay in the student housing instead of commuting from home, and her roommate was a monster. He’d thrown a fit and when we visited he’d actually made a very serious threat and gotten us kicked off the premises. He was only trying to make sure Prue was going to be safe and no one was going to hurt her, but he went too far and got into a lot of trouble with the city police and with Prue. She didn’t take to him for a month before they finally hashed it out and he apologized to the poor monster.”

Blue and Honey both paused and shared a look before turning back to her. “WE DON’T THINK IT’S BAD THAT HE IS WORRIED FOR YOU. WE WORRY FOR YOU AS WELL! BUT YOUR FRIEND DOESN’T SOUND VERY NICE, MISS MALLORY.”

Honey nodded in agreement with his brother. “It’s good to have someone who is gonna watch your back and keep an eye on you, but if he’s willing to go so far to threaten someone who didn’t do anything wrong….”

“I know. Trust me, he’s a good person deep down. He just has a very bad habit of putting his foot in his mouth. He means well.” She grimaced, gut twisting as the conversation continued. “Sometimes I do wonder whether or not his friendship is worth all the trouble he seems to cause though. Racism and prejudice and not something that I can stand. I thought maybe he would grow out of it, but I guess I was wrong.”

“WE SHALL SEE, HUMAN! YOU COULD BE RIGHT!” Blue patted his small hand against her face and gave her a reassuring smile.

Mallory returned it. She was thankful that they were both so understanding and quick to reassure her despite what they had heard and seen from her friend. “Alright. Let’s get out of the tub before I turn into a giant prune and my face puckers in on itself.”

Blue’s smile turned into an expression of absolute horror. “IT CAN DO THAT?!?!”

“Nah, bro. She’s just pulling your leg. Pretty sure that’s a human joke.” Honey was quick to reassure his brother. But when she lifted her hand out of the tub and revealed her pruning fingers he was just as quick to usher her out of the water and into a towel. From that point on Mallory knew there was no chance that she was ever going to be able to bathe by herself again. 

 

~*~

 

Mallory groaned as an annoyingly cheerful jingle roused her from sleep. She grimaced and struggled to open her heavy eyes as she fumbled for the phone clumsily, silently cursing whoever it was that was calling this early in the morning. She swiped the green phone icon on the bottom of the screen, pressed it against her ear and buried herself beneath the plush comforter once more. 

“Hello?” She croaked, voice still heavy with sleep. 

“Mallory! Y-You actually picked up!” 

Her eyes snapped open and she grit her teeth with irritation. Well now she was awake. She’d been too tired to check the caller id before answering and now she was paying for it. “What do you want, Daniel?”

“I just want you to talk to me…y-you’ve been ignoring me all week…” 

Was he slurring? A quick check of her phone screen made her frown. “Are you drinking? Daniel, it’s 5:00. In the morning.”

“I know…I’m sorry. I just needed to hear you again. Can I see you?” He murmured unsteadily into the receiver. 

“No. There’s a reason I’ve been avoiding you. After the way you treated Honey and Blue you’re lucky I don’t block you.” Mallory hissed through gritted teeth. “Drink some water and go home. Get some sleep.”

“No, please! D-Don’t hang up!”

There was a muffled shout and the sound of the phone dropping before another voice, a much deeper and angrier voice, was on the line.

“Yo, are you Mallory?”

“Yes, I’m Mallory. Who is this? Where is Daniel?” She frowned, sitting up in bed.

“My name is Mike, I’m a bartender at the Jack Shack. Your friend is crying all over the bar, drunk as a skunk, and he has no way home. You’re the only person he called that answered.” There was irritation and fatigue evident in his voice. He must have had to deal with Daniel for some time now. Either that or he’d just had a very long night. “I’m sorry to have to ask you this, but do you think you can come pick him up? The bar is about to close and I’m not about to send him out into the street or to his car when he’s this out of it.”

Mallory sighed and looked outside, seeing the sky turning light blue in the early morning. As much as she didn’t want to, she couldn’t just leave him to get himself hurt of killed while he was apparently shit-faced. “Yeah, sure. You said he’s at the Jack Shack? I’ll be there in 15 minutes. Give him a water or something, I’ll pay for it when I get there.”

“Thanks, doll. We’ll see you soon.”

The brunette grimaced and got up from bed, grabbing her jacket and purse. She wasn’t going to bother changing out of her yoga pants and t-shirt she’d gone to bed in. When she got home she was probably going to want to get another few hours of sleep anyway. She made to go through the door when it was suddenly surrounded by orange magic and closed before she reached it. Her shoulders slumped, and she turned to see the magic glowing in Honey’s socket, his hand outstretched towards the door.

“Please don’t. He got himself into that mess and he get himself out.” 

Mallory sighed and kneeled next to the dresser, her head resting against the surface tiredly. “I have to go take him home. It’ll only take half an hour, he doesn’t live far from the bar. I’ll be right back.”

“Then I’m coming with you.” He started to shuffle out of bed when Mallory’s hand rested over him lightly and she shook her head. “Yes, I’m not gonna leave you alone with him when he’s like that. He could be dangerous.”

“Daniel wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. At most, he’d probably puke on me. He was never known to handle his liquor very well. I’ll be fine.” She stood and backed away from the dresser. “Besides, we don’t want Blue to wake up all alone and freak out. It’s better if you stay here with him.”

“BUT I’M NOT ASLEEP.”

Crap, there went that excuse. “The answer is still no. He’ll be a lot more trouble if he sees you guys with me. I’m just gonna take him home to bed and come right back.”

Blue jumped from his bed and started putting on his shoes. “EXACTLY! AND WE WILL BE THERE TO MAKE SURE ALL IS WELL! WE’D BETTER HURRY BEFORE THE HUMAN MIKE LEAVES HIM OUTSIDE!”

“Nothing I say is going to keep you guys from coming with me, will it?”

Both brothers shook their head and continued getting dressed. Mallory sighed and waited patiently, mentally cursing herself for having answered her phone in the first place. 

The drive there was relatively short, the bar only being a 10-minute drive across town. Blue had been somewhat right. Instead of just leaving him outside though, Mike had stood out there with him. He was currently patting Daniel’s back as he puked in the alley next to the bar. Mallory had the boys wait in the car as she walked up to them.

“Thank you for taking care of him. I’m sorry for all the trouble he caused you tonight.” She apologized, helping Mike pick him up off the ground and dust him off. 

“I’ve seen a lot worse, believe me. Just make sure he drinks some water before he passes out. Your friend is going to have a pretty bad hangover when he wakes up.” Mike grimace but gave her a light smile.

Mallory pulled a bill out of her pocket and handed it to the bartender. “Here. It’s not much, but it should cover the water. Keep the rest as a thank you.”

Mike nodded and helped her maneuver the delirious blonde into the back seat and buckled him in, giving her a quick good night and walking back into the bar to likely finish closing. Mallory hopped back into the driver’s seat, pulling both brothers into her lap before she started driving.

“Y-You came…to get me….” Daniel slurred, head bobbing back and forth as he struggled to keep his eyes open. “Why…you hate…me…”

“I may be angry with you, but I don’t hate you. And I’m not about to let you hurt yourself by doing something really stupid.” Mallory snapped, eyes narrowing on her inebriated friend through the rearview mirror. 

“’m sorry. So…so sorry…”

The girl sighed, pulling onto the road where he lived. “I know.”

Once they were outside his house, she struggled to lift him from her backseat. Keeping one of his arms over her shoulders and her arm around his waist, she half-dragged him up the narrow walkway to his front door.

“Boys, a little help please?” She called.

Honey and Blue were by her side in an instant, worry etching their faces. She motioned towards the front door and they relaxed, using their magic to open it enough for her to help Daniel stumble inside. She took one look at the stairs that lead to his bedroom and decided against it. There was no way she was going to be able to carry him upstairs. He wasn’t too much bigger than she was, but he was still a great deal heavier and she didn’t have the necessary strength to get him up the stairs without dropping them both back down them. That left the couch. With a grunt, she steered him into his small Livingroom and dropped him unceremoniously onto the plush couch, propping him onto his side with one of the decorative pillows under his head. He was already snoring by the time she’d pulled the folded blanket off the back of the chair and draped it over him. 

“IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO LEAVE HIM LIKE THIS?” Blue frowned from the arm of the couch. 

“He’ll be okay. His older brother lives with him. He works a third shift job and should be home in a couple hours to take care of him.” Mallory replied, grabbing the garbage can and a bottle of water from the fridge to leave on the coffee table next to the couch. “Come on, let’s go back home.”

She picked Blue up as Honey teleported to her shoulder and made her way towards the door. A quick check on her phone revealed that it was almost 6:30 now. She doubted that she could go back to sleep at this point, now being wide awake. Maybe she could get an early start on her day and make a big breakfast. She hadn’t been able to make anything in the morning this week since she usually had to be up early for work. As she got to her car and started it up she thought back to the small recipe book she’d bought a few days ago.

“How would you guys feel about making something different for breakfast today?”

 

~*~

 

Mallory watched expectantly as both brothers sat down at the table in front of their plates. Blue had been the first to question her little breakfast concoction. 

“WHAT IS THIS?” He asked with impossibly wide curious sockets, magical blue drool practically seeping from his slack jaw. He lifted the edge of the thin eggy pancake to get a better look. “THERE’S FRUIT IN IT!”

Mallory chuckled and nodded. “It’s from the recipe book. It’s called a crepe! It’s like a really thin folded pancake that has fruit or condiments stuffed inside. I put strawberries and bananas in these ones. If you don’t like the filling I also made some with honey and cinnamon sugar instead.”

Honey watched as his brother dove right in. If the happy sounds he was making were any indication they must have been good. He took a cautious bite, making sure to get some fruit, and after a few inquisitive chews gave the brunette a thumbs-up. 

“They’re pretty good.” 

“THESE ARE DELICIOUS! THANK YOU, MISS MALLORY!” Blue agreed, though his words were mostly muffled through a mouthful of fruit. 

Blue dug into yet another full-sized crepe and Honey chuckled, catching his brother’s attention. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to go so bananas over this stuff.” 

Mallory snorted at the positively irate look on Blue’s face. “Come on, Honey, let the poor guy eat in peace. It’s not berry nice to interrupt his meal.” 

Honey outright laughed, dropping his fork. “That was pretty sweet!” 

“I AM EATING IN THE OTHER ROOM! YOU ARE BOTH RUINING BREAKFAST!”

Mal stood and took her plate the sink, catching a glimpse out the window as she walked back to the table. It was nice and sunny outside with what looked like a light breeze blowing the leaves around on the large oak in the yard. Come to think of it, other than going to work and the occasional shopping trip, they hadn’t really gotten a chance to go outside. Not even going through the sliding glass door to sit on the balcony. 

“Hey, guys?” She grabbed their attention as she sat back down. “How about we go outside today. There’s a small park not that far from here with a pretty big field.”

“THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL! WE HAVEN’T BEEN TO A PARK BEFORE! WHAT IS IT LIKE?” Blue jumped up, quickly working on clearing his plate and handing the dishes to Mallory.

“It’s a big grassy area with benches and swings and gazebos – big buildings held up by wooden beams with no walls. The field is full of flowers. There’s a tall playground for local kids on the other side of the field. A lot of kids play there, but it’s Friday and they’ll still be in school right now.” Mallory explained. 

“Sounds good. It looks pretty nice out.” Honey yawned. 

He leaned back and lifted an arm out for Mal. She rolled her eyes and smiled, obliging the bitty and picking him up. This had quickly become a signal to the girl that he wanted to be carried and didn’t feel like teleporting to her shoulder. She rested him in the crook of her elbow against her side and watched as he started to doze off almost immediately. 

“BROTHER, YOU SLEPT WHILE MISS MALLORY WAS MAKING BREAKFAST! YOU ONLY JUST WOKE UP!” Blue scolded with a frown. He climbed into Mallory’s waiting hand and allowed her to perch him on her shoulder. 

“C’mon bro, I’m eggs-hausted and a nap sounds egg-cellent right about now.”

“WE DIDN’T EVEN EAT EGGS THIS MORNING!”

Mallory snorted, grabbing her purse and stepping out the door, making sure to lock it behind her. “It’s a breakfast pun, I guess?”

Honey looked up and gave her a wink. “Eggs-actly.” 

“MWEH!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this cute stuff while it lasts guys, cause from here on out there is going to be a lot of angst and a lot of drama! Further on there will be violence and morally gray things going on! PREPARE YOUR BODIES!!


	7. When It Rains, It Pours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relaxing day takes a turn when our trio gets stuck in a thunderstorm. They quickly find out that the storm masks a terrible truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even going to apologize anymore because all I seem to do in my notes is say sorry. I am still sorry, but I just don't have an excuse this time other than being super lazy this whole past week. :) My bad! I gotta keep motivated in the midst of all my stuff!

The walk to the park had been quiet. Both bitties were too busy looking around at the new and different buildings. It wasn’t much different than the way that Mallory usually went to go to work, but it must have been new and exciting for the boys if they weren’t speaking at all. After a few minutes they were standing in the middle of a small gazebo, staring out at the numerous trees and walking trails winding through the tall grass and flowers. This side of the field was more like a conservation area than a park, but the other side was full of jungle gyms, swing sets, and sand boxes. But that could be because that side was closer to the local school. 

“Here we are.” The brunette smiled, sitting down on the bench by the thin white railing. “It’s a pretty big area so there usually aren't that many people in one spot. We’ll probably be the only ones here for a few hours.”

“IT’S SO HUGE! EVEN BIGGER THAN THE BAKERY!” Blue exclaimed, staring in awe at the fields and paths. 

He jumped down onto the bench, bouncing in place as he tried to take everything in all at once. Honey seemed content to drape himself across her lap and sunbathe in the beams that filtered through the lattice roof. 

“Well, go on.” Mallory brushed her finger over Blue’s skull, smiling when he latched onto her finger and nuzzles against the soft pad. “Go explore. See if you can find four-leafed clover. They’re supposed to be really lucky.”

Blue perked up immediately. “GREAT IDEA! THE MGANIFICENT BLUE WILL FIND THIS ELUSIVE CLOVER AND BECOME THE LUCKIEST BITTY IN THE WHOLE WORLD!” 

He pranced off, starting to meticulously dig through every patch of flowers and grass he passed. His excited laughter followed him the whole way, echoing back to where she sat with Honey. 

“Nothing really keeps him down, does it?” She muttered quietly, watching him with a smile.

Honey followed her gaze, a small smile creeping onto his own face as he spotted his brother face down in a patch of flowers. “No. He sees the good in pretty much everything. He’s the coolest nicest bro I could’ve asked for.”

“I’m pretty sure your puns are the only thing that make him go cross-eyed.”

The skeleton snorted and shrugged his shoulders, the smile never leaving his face. For awhile they sat in comfortable silence, watching the smaller bitty fondly. Honey’s sockets started closing, the warmth and light breeze starting to lull him back to sleep. Mallory lifted a finger, gently stroking over the side of his skull the same way she usually did with Blue. Instead of cracking a joke or hiding his face, she was pleasantly surprised when he leaned into the small touches. Honey was usually more reserved with his affection than Blue but was more than happy to call her the usual pet name or throw her a compliment. This was new, and she had to admit she enjoyed seeing him accept the affection without looking like he was gonna burst into a tiny orange flame of embarrassment. Small sockets opened and looked up at her thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to speak, inhaling but then snapping his jaw closed again before uttering a single word. She couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled up from her throat. While Honey was usually quiet, but that didn’t ever stop him from speaking when something was one his mind. His sudden bout of shyness was as adorable as it was unusual. 

“Something on your mind?”

Honey looked up at her in silence a moment longer. She was almost tempted to rescind the question, but she really wanted to know what it was that he seemed so reluctant to say. 

He sighed and looked away, clasping his hands across the front of his ribcage. “I know I never said it before but…well, thanks.”

Her brows pinched together in confusion. “Thanks for what?”

“For…everything, I guess. From saving us from that creep and taking us in. For defending Blue against your friend. Stars, for just being a decent human person.” Honey muttered quietly, a light shade of orange dusting his cheekbones as he spoke. “It means a lot to us.”

“Of course. You guys mean a lot to me.” She smiled. She could feel a lump forming in the back of her throat as her chest constricted – it was painful but pleasant. Crying was never something she enjoyed, but happy tears were always welcome. She never truly stopped to think about how much what she did affected either of them. “Thank you for accepting me. And trusting me. I know it couldn’t have been easy, especially seeing as how we first met.”

Both chuckled, remembering the fit of panic he’d had when he first woken up in a stranger’s arms with his brother out of sight. He’d been suspicious at first, even after they’d gotten to the apartment, but every action and gesture she’d made since meeting them had always been for their benefit and comfort. The fierce way she’d backed and defended them made it hard not to feel safe and secure in her presence.

Without warning, she lifted him from her lap to be level with his face and left a swift kiss on the side of his skull that left him stunned and silent. Mallory laughed at the slack expression on his face, going in for another smooch. Honey struggled against the onslaught of affection, pushing feebly at her face and attempting to hide his glowing cheeks underneath his hood. 

“H-Hey! C’mon, Mal! Cut it out!” 

“Sorry, but I just can’t help it.” She smirked. “You’re just a sweet as your name.”

Honey groaned and managed to pull his hood tightly over his face, pulling the drawstrings so tight that no part of his face was visible through the pucker of fabric. 

“Aw, Honey, you’re glowing! Who knew you would end up being the light of my life!” Mallory cooed at the embarrassed bitty. “Just looking at you brightens my day!”

“MWEH! BROTHER LOOK AT HOW MUCH YOU’VE CORRUPTED THE HUMAN! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!” 

Blue stood on the bench next to Mallory’s leg, a clover held in one of the hands perched on his hips as he watched with clear disapproval.

“Oh, hey Blue. We were just having ourselves a pun-tastic conversation.” 

“NO, HUMAN!!”

“Heh. You could say she was being quite humerus.” 

“Ha! That one was punny!” 

“DO NOT ENCOURAGE HIM!”

“Did I tickle your ribs, hon?”

“ARGH! THAT IS IT! I AM LEAVING YOU BOTH!”

“No, Blue, come back! I’m sure we can find one that you’d like!”

“Nah, puns really make him blue.”

“I DISOWN YOU!!” 

 

~*~

 

After having calmed Blue down, they started to make their way home. The promise of warm food was enough to warrant forgiveness from the riled bitty after all the terrible puns. Good food and good movies easily called the three of them back to the cozy apartment. And Mallory had some serious laundry that she needed to get started. The entire week she’d been so tired that she had slacked on that particular chore. Unless she wanted to be wearing paint stained sweatpants and oversized Marvel t-shirts to work she needed to crack down asap. 

“How about we try our luck and try some chicken parmesan tonight?” 

“WE SHALL HAVE PLENTY OF LUCK WITH MY CLOVER!” Blue crowed proudly from her shoulder, holding out his elusive prize. 

Honestly, she’d been more than a little shocked that he’d actually been able to find one. Her entire childhood, no matter how long or how hard she searched she had never been able to find one on her own. She was actually a little bit jealous that’d he’d had barely any trouble. Then again, he was small enough to get a better look at the tiny leaves than she was. Mallory opened her mouth to comment when a small flash lit up the quickly darkening sky, startling the trio. Funny, she didn’t think it was supposed to rain today. Maybe she should have double checked the weather before coming out. 

“Let’s take a little shortcut. Hopefully we won’t get soaked before we make it back home.” She suggested as she darted into a small alley. Alleys were always a no-go. Her neighborhood was plenty safe, but why take the chance?

No sooner than she spoke the words, it started coming down. The storm had moved in quickly and within a matter of minutes it was coming down in thick cold sheets, water already starting to flood the alleys and streets. It always flooded pretty bad in the area around her apartment building. Hopefully the lobby wouldn’t flood. Last time they’d had a bad storm the water had been up a few inches and caused a serious mold problem in the bottom floor and left the laundry room a complete mess. She’d had to take her clothing down the road to a laundromat for almost a month before the building manager got the issue taken care of. 

“Well, this has certainly wet my appetite.” Honey muttered, attempting to wring out the front of his hoodie.

“BROTHER, NO!”

“Brother, yes.”

“Maybe you guys should climb inside my jacket. I know I’m already soaked but I don’t want you guys getting pelted by all this rain. Can bitties get colds? I don’t want you getting sick.” Mallory grimaced, effectively silencing the argument. 

“WE’RE ALREADY WET TOO, MISS MALLORY! BESIDES, IF WE STOP NOW THEN WE WILL JUST END UP WAISTING TIME AND GETTING CAUGHT IN MORE RAIN! WE’RE ALMOST HOME ANYWAY!”

True. The girl relented and opted instead for trying to let her hair act as a kind of curtain to shield them from the downpour. It didn’t do much and the wet ratty lochs were likely to stick to them and make it worse, but she would still try. She managed to break into a jog down the narrow alleyways and keep upright enough not to dislodge either bitty. Water splashed up the backs of her legs with each step. The chilled dirty water felt like it was starting to soak through her skin and freeze her bones. Luckily, they weren’t too far from the apartment now. Just one more corner and they would be home.

“Good thing we have extra clothes for – eep!” 

Mallory yelped as her foot slid out from underneath her on the wet concrete and she stumbled into the wall, slamming her shoulder against the bricks in the process. She hissed at the impact. There was definitely going to be a bruise there now. She always bruised easily. A small cry and whimper came from her right and she immediately reached for the boys, fearing she may have landed on one of them or crushed a limb in some way. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry! Are you guys okay? Did I hurt you?” She called frantically over the roar of thunder. It was starting to get so loud she had to yell to hear herself speak. 

Honey shook his head but kept a tight grip on her hair. Blue was quick to grab her hand and pat her fingers in reassurance. 

“NO, WE ARE FINE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

“Wha – yeah, I’m fine! But…if you guys didn’t cry out then who did?” She frowned. She was sure she’d heard someone.

“Wasn’t us, hon.” Honey shrugged. He glanced back at Blue through her wet tangles to see his brother give a confused shake of his skull. It hadn’t been either of them. 

Another cry, this one more louder and more panicked. Mallory whipped around, sending her hair flying and sticking to her face and both bitties. She squinted through the darkness of the flooded alleyway in an effort to locate who or what was making the distressed sounds. There was no one else in the narrow space with them. She would have told herself that maybe she was just hearing things, but she was so sure of what she heard. Glancing around the ground all she could see was bits and pieces of trash flowing through the water and a soggy cardboard box that stood empty against the opposite wall. 

“MISS MALLORY! OVER HERE!”

Blue had somehow managed to make it off of her shoulder and was standing on the wet concrete, hands pulling desperately at the bars on a steel sewer grate against the wall. She crouched next to him and grabbed one of the bars, giving it an experimental tug before frowning. She wasn’t going to have enough leverage and the grate was heavy. With a sigh of resignation, she knelt with her knees submerged in the flowing water and grabbed the bars as firmly as she could with both hands. It’s not like she’d been all that dry anyway. Another sharper tug on the bars was enough to dislodge it, but not nearly enough to lift it out all the way. 

“Crap, it’s not –!”

Orange magic surrounded the steel before it was slid aside easily and sent skidding across the alley with a sharp screech of metal on stone, looking as if it weighed no more than a slice of bread. 

“Thanks, Honey!” 

The taller bitty nodded and stood at the edge of the gaping hole next to his brother, keeping a firm grip on the back of his shirt to keep him from leaning too far over. Mallory bent down and peered inside, squinting her eyes through the darkness to try see if she could make anything out. 

“Hello? Is anyone down there?” She called. Her voice seemed to echo through the small pipes extending out and bounce back out to her. It was starting to get difficult to hear anything over the sound of the water pounding heavily against everything around her. Even the water pouring down into the overflow of the pipes was loud. 

After a few moments of no sounds, Mallory was about to stand when it came. A muffled sob barely heard over the rush of water. 

“I hear it!” Blue cried, worry darkening his features. 

Oh hell. Mallory slipped her phone out of her back pocket and grimaced as her screen immediately became soaked. Her fingers fumbled to hit the flashlight icon as the drops confused to touch screen and made it action much more difficult. Finally, she was able to get the light to activate, revealing nothing but garbage and random small indiscernible bits being swept through the shallow water into various pipes leading away from the gaping hole. With all the movement and flashes of lightning she nearly missed it. Small fluttering motions within a sunk drawstring bag, the strings caught on a jagged torn piece of metal that had rusted away from the grimy wall. Mallory bent down further and reached in with her free hand, grabbing the drawstrings and pulling hard against the rusted hook. She winced at the bite of metal against the side of her hand as she pulled the bag up and out. 

“Come on!” She scooped both bitties into her arms and stood, holding them closely as she broke out into a run out of the alley and towards the warm yellow light of the apartment door, now heedless of the heavy torrent of water that came down on them. 

“HUMAN, WAIT! THE GRATE!”

“Don’t worry about it! We’ll call the city and let them know!”

As soon as they were at the door, Mallory was quick to swipe her card key and shuffle the door open with her shoulder. As soon as the door closed behind them they were met with a wave of heated air that seemed to chill the wet clothes clinging to their frames instead of warming them. The brunette dropped to her knees in front of the door and sat the bag down as gently as she could. Blue jumped out of her arms and started tugging furiously at the knots tangling and sealing the top of it. In the light she could now see that it wasn’t just the drawstrings that had gotten tangled. Someone had deliberately tied another two or three knots with what looked like a shoestring. Whoever tied this thing certainly didn’t want it to be opened again that easily. Mallory made quick work of the nest of tangled strips and ripped the bag wide open. 

“Holy shit…” She sank back on her feet with her jaw hanging open. A chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the freezing clothes sticking to her body. 

Inside the bag was a bitty. Soaked and tattered clothing clung loosely to his bones, doing little to cover him much at all. He was curled in a tight ball, sockets wide and flooded with orange tears. When Mallory adjusted herself on her feet he flinched and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. The brunette silently cursed herself for scaring him and cleared her throat, holding her hands up so that he could see them clearly.

“H-Hi there. Um…are you okay? I’m sorry if I scared you.” Well, that was dumb. Of course, he wasn’t okay. The poor thing was half drowned and trapped in a sewer grate. 

The skeleton ignored her, trying to cower further into the folds of fabric in an attempt to hide from her. Mal grimaced and looked desperately to her bitties for help. She didn’t want to attempt to take him out of the bag if he was scared of her. He could hurt himself if he started to panic. Blue looked like he was in too much of a state of shock to do anything, staring with wide empty sockets as he kept a tight grip on her sleeve. Honey shared her look, slowly climbing over the ruffled lip and into the waterlogged bag to crouch next to the trembling bitty. 

“Hey, pale. You’re gonna be alright now. Our human isn’t gonna hurt you.” He spoke quietly, reaching his hands out slowly but keeping a short distance between them. He’d seen bitties get spooked before. Sometimes they lashed out if they were scared enough. 

The soaked bitty shook his head firmly and looked up at Mallory fearfully. He grabbed Honey’s arm tightly and attempted to shuffle behind him, using the confused skeleton as a shield to hide himself further from her gaze. 

Honey sighed and rested his hand on the others shaking arm. “No, it’s okay. Look, she’s been taking care of me and my bro for awhile now. She just wants to help you, I promise.”

“M-MALLORY?”

The brunette in question tore her eyes away from the two and looked down at Blue. His voice was trembling, and it slowly dawned on her that this was the first time he’d said just her name. His small body was shaking and tears were gathering in the corners of his dark sockets. He looked up at her with so much confusion and despair, his lower lip bone quivering in the way it did when he was genuinely upset about something. 

“WHO…WHO DID THIS TO HIM?

Mallory scooped him up and held him up to her face, feeling a lump start to form in her throat and bitty hugged her cheek and sniffled. She had to take a couple of breaths before answering him, afraid that her voice would crack and give away that she was on the verge of tears as well. She couldn’t start crying. It would only upset him even more. 

“I don’t know, sweetie. We’ll get him taken care of and find out.” She reassured. One of her fingers trailed lightly down his spine, trying to soothe him and stop his tears. She really did hate to see him cry. 

“Hey, Mal…” She brought her attention back to the two in the bag. Honey’s face looked haunted as he held the other bitty to his side. “He can’t talk. There’s something tangled up in his jaw.”

“Is it stuck?” She asked, frowning as her attention was drawn to the others mouth. 

The shivering skeleton nodded silently, holding tightly to Honey like he was his lifeline. She didn’t know how she’d missed it earlier, but she could see it so clearly now as it stood out harshly against the white of his jaw. Frayed red string was knotted around the lower half of his jaw and neck, stuck in between some of his teeth. The same color red as the torn and tangled strings on the bad. He’d tried to chew himself out. Whatever Honey had told him must have done the trick because now he wasn’t quite so afraid to look her in the eyes. 

“Come on, let’s get inside. You guys must be freezing.” She hesitated before lowering her hand just outside of the lip of the bag. “Is it okay if I carry you? My apartment is upstairs. It might be kind of difficult to reach if you tried to walk.”

The silent bitty regarded her open palm with wide sockets, looking at her limb like it was an animal waiting to snatch him and crush his bones. Honey whispered something quietly to him that Mallory couldn’t quite hear. It seemed to work though, as he nodded his head and shuffled forward slowly to sit in her waiting hand. He still refused to let go of Honey, pulling the slightly taller bitty with him the whole way. She lifted them carefully and held them tightly to her chest as she quickly made her way up the stairs to her apartment door, taking two steps at a time in her rush to get them all safe and warm. 

“Blue, can you get the door please?” She didn’t have any free hands to get her keys from her purse.

“YES, MISS MALLORY.”

Faint blue outlined briefly before it swung open slowly. She nudged it the rest of the way with her foot, slipped inside, and kicked it closed behind her again. Okay, first thing was first. They needed to dry off and get into some dry clothes. Mal rushed to her room, heedless of way her wet socks stuck to the floor and the trail of water she left behind. Sitting the bitties on her bed, she turned and pulled a few rags out of the folded laundry in her basket. At least she’d put the towels and rags in the last load she’d done. 

“Alright, you guys dry off and I’ll grab you some clothes.” She said as she laid the rags down on the bed. 

She turned without waiting to see if they would comply and started rummaging through the small dresser in the boy’s makeshift room. She hadn’t been shopping for them in awhile but they still had a couple extra changes of clothes and some sleepwear, but that was all. She made a mental note to take them out again as she turned back around towards the bed. All three wrapped in the fluffy rags with their wet clothes thrown into a pile off to the side. The silent bitty had stopped shivering and was looking around her room with large slightly teary sockets. He still looked scared out of his mind, but there was an underlying curiosity there that made her smile. 

Mallory laid the clothing next to them, keeping far enough away that she wouldn’t startle the tall one again. “Here. Will you guys help him change so I can go dry off? I’m going to grab something to wear that isn’t soaked in water.”

“THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE WILL SEE IT DONE!” He smiled for the first time since they’d been in the alley and went to work digging out his own clothes from the pile she’d set aside.  
The brunette smiled warmly, giving the smaller bitty a gentle stroke across his skull that he happily leaned into while a smile of his own. She was glad he was back to his usual self again. Grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she made her way to the bathroom to change. Flicking on the bathroom light gave her the first view she’d had of herself all afternoon. Her own appearance made her flinch. No wonder the poor bitty had been so scared when he’d first seen her. She looked like something out of a horror movie. Her thick tangled hair stuck to her face and shoulders, her skin was pale and ghostly from the cold and rain, and her mascara was running down her cheeks in long black trails. 

With a sigh, she quickly put on her dry clothes, making sure to wash her face afterwards. Her eyes still looked a bit sunken in but that would work itself out once she got warmed up. Pulling her hair back, she grabbed a ponytail and put it up as best she could. This was somewhat of a challenge since her hair didn’t usually want to cooperate when it was wet, but the messy tangle of wet curls would just have to sit on top of her head like a rat’s nest until it dried. When her hand brushed over her hair, she hissed in surprised pain at the twinge that went through her palm. Damn, she’d forgotten that she’d cut her hand when she’d pulled the bag free earlier. Rummaging around her medicine cabinet, Mallory grabbed a small roll of gauze and a piece of cotton, wrapping it tightly around her hand and taping it into place. 

As Mallory stepped out of the bathroom she could hear quiet chatter coming from her bedroom. The boys were still probably helping the other bitty finish drying off and getting him changed. She could start some dinner in the meantime and make sure they had something warm to eat once they were finished. 

As she started towards the kitchen her mind started to wander. Who could have done something like that to that poor bitty? There was no doubt that someone had intentionally tied him up and threw him out into the alley. Even with his worn and disheveled appearance, he couldn’t have been a stray. Or at least not have been one for very long. But still, there was no way he could have ended up that way all by himself. He’d even tried to chew his way out if the fibers and strings caught in his teeth and jaw were anything to go by. 

She quickly shook herself from her thoughts and started rummaging through the cupboards. She was originally going to make something new, but now something quick and nice and warm would be better. There was always something she craved on cold wet days and made sure to always have stocked in the kitchen. Her old favorite. Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Mallory would at least get it started and let it cook while she saw to the silent bitties mouth.

She’d just turned on the stove and started heating the pot of soup when the quiet echo of small feet clacking against the floor caught her attention. A quick glance down showed Blue and Honey leading the silent bitty through the entrance to the kitchen. His sockets were wide and curious, taking everything in as he was lead through the apartment. Now that he stood straighter and wasn’t crouched down and away from her, she could see that he was much taller than she originally thought. At first, he’d looked to be about the same height as Blue, but now it was obvious that he was nearly identical to Honey. If she recalled correctly, he must have been a Papy-type bitty. He was much quieter and meeker, though she supposed that was normal given how he was found. The clothes that had been pulled out for him had belonged to Blue so they were a little small on him. The shirt hung just shy over covering his midsection fully and the shorts were just a tad bit too short, not even reaching his patella. But they were warm and dry and would certainly work better than his other clothes. 

“Hey, guys. I put some soup on. Is tomato okay?” 

“Sounds good to me.” Honey responded. 

“YES, MISS MALLORY! THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL!” 

After checking on the stove, Mallory knelt down on the kitchen floor and motioned the trio forward. “Why don’t we try to get that stuff off you so that you can eat. You must be pretty hungry by now.” 

The Papy bitty glanced back at the brothers, nervously wringing his hands together in front of himself. They both smiled and gave him nods of encouragement.  
Honey motioned him forward with both hands. “It’s alright. We promise you’ll be okay.” 

The Papy gave him a small nod and strode forward hesitantly. Mallory reached her hand out in front of her, placing it flat on the floor, and waited patiently just as she had before when they were in the lobby. He tensed when she’d moved, watching her hand carefully for a moment before taking the few steps closer and sitting carefully in the palm of her hand. She carefully lifted him, holding him close when he clutched onto her fingers and closed his sockets tightly. It was almost as if he expected her to drop him. 

She carefully sat him down on the edge of the counter, bending down so that her face was level with him. She’d be able to see him better and he wouldn’t have to crane his head back to be able to meet her gaze. “Can you open your mouth at all?” 

He paused, tilting his skull slightly and looking away from her. After a moment he looked at her again and gave her a quick nod, opening his mouth a small fraction before it stopped and he winced. Mal narrowed her eyes at the tangle of threads that were pulled taught just behind the rows of white teeth. Scissors would be too big to get to the smaller fibers, and there was no way they could fit into the small gap between his teeth. Oh! She had just the thing for this! Dashing to her purse, Mallory pulled out a small bag and grabbed what she needed before crouching in front of the bitty again, a small pair of cuticle clippers in her hands. It was sharp enough to cut the thread with minimal force and small enough to fit around his bones easily! 

“I’m going to use these to cut the threads that are stuck, okay? If you feel too scared or uncomfortable then pat my hand like this.” She said, using the pointer finger on her other hand to tap against her skin.

The Papy nodded in understanding and watched, still somewhat wary, as she reached forward with the clippers and started snipping away some of the easier to reach bits. Blue pulled out her tweezers, which she happily accepted and used to pull out and away from his jaw and the small vertebrae that made up his neck. Getting the ones that were stuck in his mouth and teeth were a little harder. She could fit the end of the clippers just a little ways inside of his mouth so that she could reach the thread but the ones that she couldn’t reach would have to be untangled and pulled out by hand. 

“I’m afraid I can’t reach some of them.” She admitted with a frown. “But I can ask Blue or Honey if they might be able to help pull them out.”

The silent bitty shook his head. He reached up and into his mouth, grabbing the ends of the cut strings and pulling them down through the small gaps in his teeth through the bottom of his jaw and threw them onto the counter. He rubbed gently at his teeth and at the small scuffs against his bones, opening his mouth and closing it again repeatedly to soothe the ache that had formed there. 

“Hopefully that wasn’t too uncomfortable for you.” Mallory smiled. “Is that better?”

He nodded his head. “B-BETTER. THANK YOU.”

His voice sounded rough and raspy, from his crying or from disuse, Mal didn’t know. Either way, it was nice to hear him finally speak. His voice was quiet but she could tell it sounded similar in tone to Blue’s own voice, if a little higher pitched. 

“You’re welcome. My name is Mallory. Mallory Hathaway.” She smiled down at him. He gave her a small tentative smile of his own and she felt warmth and relief fill her. “This is Blue and that’s Honey. They’re brothers, and they’ve been staying with me for a little over a week now.”

She gestured to each brother as she said their name. Honey waved, leaning nonchalantly against the microwave and looking as relaxed as ever. Blue was bouncing on his heels, stars ever present in his sockets as he waved frantically. The Papy’s smile widened and he waved back at them both. 

“HELLO NEW FRIEND! WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” Blue called excitedly. He’d introduced himself earlier, but now he was able to converse with his new friend now that Mallory had fixed him.

“YOU…YOU WANT TO KNOW MY NAME?” He asked with wide sockets.

“Well, yeah.” Mallory chuckled. “It would be nice to know.”

He paused and stared off at nothing, scrounging his tired mind for his name. His mama hadn’t called him any one thing in particular. Mostly hurtful and mean things when she would chase him or yell at him. But his papa…he always called him something else. Something nice that made him smile.

“PARIS. MY PAPA CALLED ME PARIS.” He answered.

The brunette smiled. “Paris. I like that. You have a lovely name.” She turned away from him towards the stove where steam was curling up from a pan. “I should finish cooking, that way we can finally sit down and eat. You look like you’re hungry.”

Her words made him notice the smell that had permeated the kitchen, sockets darting to the stove as his hands came up to clutch at the shirt above where his stomach would have been. It smelled amazing! She chuckled and turned away, taking a step away from him. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and latched onto the end of her shirt. She stopped and turned to look at him, remaining silent as she waited for him to speak up. Embarrassed, he let go of her shirt and held it tightly to his ribs. As nervous as he was, he couldn’t stop himself from looking back to the pot on the stove. He wanted to watch. To see what it was that she was making. But if he asked or followed her without her permission then she would get mad at him. Chase him and throw things like his mama had. 

Mallory frowned as she watched him. She couldn’t help but think that his behavior wasn’t because he was shy, but because of something else. The way he watched and took everything in so openly and curiously was proof enough of that. No, for some reason or another he was holding himself back, and she couldn’t help but feel that this was a learned behavior. Again, she noticed him taking quick glances at the stove, now wringing his hands in the front of his borrowed shirt. Then all at once, it clicked. Papys and Baby Blues were similar in most ways, and this proved to be no exception. He was acting the same way that Blue did when he wanted something but didn’t know how to ask for it. 

She bent down to the small hyper bitty standing next to his brother, whispering something to him. He looked at her with confusion, glancing at the fidgeting nervous skeleton across from them as he eyed the stove before understanding lit up his features. He bounced over, taking the others hands into his own with a wide smile. 

“OUR HUMAN SAYS THAT WE CAN HELP HER MAKE THE SANDWICHES! COME, FRIEND! YOU CAN COOK WITH US!” Blue exclaimed.

Paris’ sockets widened and a smile was starting to spread across his face. He looked back and forth between Mallory and Blue with mounting excitement. “R…REALLY? I CAN HELP?”

“Of course! Blue here is my little assistant!” Mallory brushed her finger lightly over her small bitties skull. His face dusted light blue and he giggled bashfully at the action. “I don’t know where I would be without him. Since we’re going to be making a lot of sandwiches we’ll likely need an extra set of hands. What do you boys think? Does he look like chef material?”

Honey blipped to her shoulder, giving the other skeleton a once-over before giving her a thumbs-up. “Looks pretty handy to me. Kid’s got my vote.”

“DO NOT WORRY MISS MALLORY! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE WILL TEACH HIM ALL THERE IS TO KNOW!” Blue crowed, pulling the other bitty up from his seated position. “COME FRIEND! TO THE STOVE!”

Paris seemed to make a complete 180 with his behavior and quickly followed Blue across the counter, chattering happily with almost as much volume as the other. That was definitely more like it. 

“Hey, Mal.” She turned and found Honey standing straight and looking up at her. His laid back expression from moments ago was now gone. He was tense and full of worry as he watched the other two skeletons work. 

She frowned, keeping her voice low enough so the other boys wouldn’t hear. “You noticed it too?”

Honey nodded solemnly. “But, Mal…when he was changing…” He took a breath, steeling himself. “Some of his ribs are cracked. The rest of him looks pretty beat up too.”

Mallory felt her breath choke her lungs, a lump forming in her throat as nausea threatened to overtake her stomach. “You don’t…you don’t think…”

“Some of the others that were at that pet place with me and Blue…they’d get taken and brought back by the same people every few days. They’d come back looking like that, sometimes worse. Or they wouldn’t come back at all.” 

So that was it. Someone had neglected and abused Paris, decided they were done and better off without him, tied him up in a bag and threw him out into the storm to dust. Dear God, who could be so cruel and sadistic to do that to such a sweet innocent little guy like Paris? How long before the same thing could have happened to Blue and Honey if she hadn’t been there that day, or if she had just turned the other way. 

A small tap on her arm caused Mal to jump, startled from her dark thoughts. Blue was looking up at her with concern, Paris standing beside him watching her with confusion. “O-Oh! Sorry! So, whose ready to get started? We have everything out?”

“UM…YEAH. EVERYTHING IS READY. BUT…HUMAN WHY ARE YOU CRYING?” Blue asked, his hand reaching out as if to touch her face.

Crying? She wasn’t crying, was she? Her hand came up and brushed her cheek, pulling it away to see the tears on her fingers. When had she even started crying? 

“Crap, sorry guys. I’m good. I guess I just got something in my eye.” She chuckled, quickly wiping her face. “I’m fine. Promise.”

“DOES IT HURT?”

Mallory gaped as Paris pressed closer to her, laying a hand against her arm much the way Blue had done, his face pinched with concern. She was shocked that he had spoken up, let a lone walked up and touched her of his own accord. Especially given what the poor guy had likely gone through, not just today but his whole life. Still, he was so sweet and gentle and reminded her so much of Blue and Honey that it made her heart ache, her eyes threatening to let loose more tears.

“No.” She muttered quietly, smiling down at him. “No, it doesn’t hurt. Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started getting angry at my own characters while writing this chapter lol! Poor Paris deserves better! He's such an adorable little guy! Oh! And for anyone confused on what type Paris is, he's a Papy-type bitty! The original!
> 
> Edit: Someone was kind enough to point out that there was an issue where certain text and dialogue was cut out! It should be fixed now! Please let me know if you see anything else that may have been cut out or looks odd! Thank you!


	8. What's Up, Doc?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paris gets to help Mallory and Blue cook and later on they make a trip to visit our favorite bitty doctor!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 3 AM and I'm so damn tired and have so much homework to do. But I just couldn't go another day without posting! I've given you guys a special treat and made this chapter EXTRA long to make up for my absence! Please accept my bribe and forgive me for not having posted in a month!

He could tell something was wrong. He could always tell. It’s how he knew to hide when his mama was home. She got this far away look on her face. Sometimes she wouldn’t even hear him when he would call for her to ask if she was okay. But the second she saw him she would always chase him. And if she didn’t catch him, if he was hiding, she would move the furniture and throw things around until she went to sleep or left again. It was the same far away look the nice human wore now. But his mama didn’t smile or talk to him the way this human did. He was nervous. He was scared. But something he felt from her told him that he was safe, and his feelings had never been wrong before. So, he didn’t hide. He stayed with her and the other bitties. If they were okay then that meant he would be okay too, right? 

“Paris, can you put down a slice of cheese for me?” Mallory asked him, gesturing to the slice of bread in the pan.

“Y-YES!” 

He was quick to jump up and grab a slice of cheese, tearing away the plastic carefully so he wouldn’t rip the giant squishy square. With a smile, he draped it carefully over the slice of bread sitting in the pan and watched as Mallory laid another slice of bread over top of it. Blue was supervising from his perch on the spice rack above the stove, occasionally giving Paris encouragement or helpful words of advice. Paris had been surprised but more than ecstatic when the two had asked him to help. His mama never allowed him into the kitchen or let him help with much of anything. Then again, she did not cook much to begin with. Often, she would come home, sometimes smelling sour and stumbling around, and tell him that she had already eaten and he would need to find his own food. Because he wasn’t allowed in the kitchen that usually meant he would have to obtain his food some other way. The neighbors would let him come over sometimes and he could eat with them, but he would usually have to sneak into the pantry and take something small so she wouldn’t notice. 

“Why don’t you tell me something about yourself, Paris? Do you have any hobbies or games that you like to play? Honey likes sleeping most of the time, and Blue enjoys puzzles.” Mallory asked as she flipped one of the sandwiches, pressing the spatula down over the top to flatten it out. “I enjoy painting. What do you like?”

He actually had to think about that for a moment. He often enjoyed making his own games but had to clean them up before his mama got home and scolded him for making a mess. But he liked to read her books! She had large thin books with lots of pictures in them and sometimes they would have word puzzles! There was also a deck of cards that she kept in a drawer in her nightstand that he would lay out and try to match. “I ENJOY PUZZLES AS WELL. I TRIED TO PLAY A CARD GAME ONCE BUT I THINK I MAY HAVE DONE IT WRONG.” He admitted. 

“YOU LIKE PUZZLES TOO FRIEND?!” Blue exclaimed, clapping his hands against his cheekbones in surprised pleasure. “I CAN SHOW YOU THE ONES THAT I’VE MADE AFTER WE ARE FINISHED EATING!”

Paris smiled and nodded up at the excited skeleton. “YES, PLEASE!”

Mallory chuckled and started placing the toasted bread onto a large plate. Paris watched with rapt attention as she pulled out a large knife and cut each sandwich into four small squares, spacing them out and stacking them together in a neat pile.

“Will you both be able to spoon some soup into the bowls?” She asked them.

Blue nodded and jumped down onto the counted next to Paris, picking up one of the ladles that had been laid out earlier. He grabbed one end and lifted it easily, swinging it so that it was over the edge of the steaming pot of soup. “PARIS, CAN YOU GRAB THE END AND HELP ME PULL IT BACK?”

He perked up and grabbed the handle, lifting it. When Blue twisted the head and dipped it into the soup, Paris helped pull the ladle back over the edge of the pot and tilted it sideways so that the warm red liquid was poured into the waiting bowl. Several more turns like this and three small dishes were full of soup. Mallory walked in as they were set to work on the much larger human sized bowl and stopped them.

“That’s alright guys. I can get my own soup.” She smiled, accepting the ladle that they both held out to her. “It’ll probably take awhile to fill this one. Why don’t you go sit and start eating?”

Blue exclaimed noisily and jumped around the counter, pulling Paris will him to the edge. This caused him to frown. She didn’t get mad when Blue did this? His mama had always told him the good bitties were polite and quiet and did not jump about. But Miss Mallory seemed not to mind it at all. His mama would often yell or punish him if he raised his voice too much. Instead of her doing this, she simply laughed and gave him a gentle pat on his skull. He liked her laugh. It sounded nice.

“Alright, let’s eat!” Mallory picked up her bowl and started to carry it to the kitchen, stopping to let Honey hop off of the counted and into her waiting hand. 

“Sounds soup-er.” 

“BROTHER, NO PUNS AT THE DINNER TABLE!” Blue cried, stomping his small foot with his hands perched firmly on his hips. “WE HAVE A GUEST!”

Paris said nothing, but he felt a small twinge of irritation at the pun. His brow bones twitched as he narrowed his sockets. 

“Sorry, bro. I forgot you find it hard to stomach my jokes.” 

“HONEY, NO!”

“What? Don’t tell me…”

“BROTHER…”

“Are they too…”

“DON’T YOU DARE!”

“…cheesy for you?”

“MWEH!!!”

“NYEH!!!”

All three turned to look Paris will equal expressions of shock, their mouths all hanging open. The bitty flinched and quickly covered his mouth with both hands. H-He hadn’t meant to! He’d been too loud, almost louder than Blue! This was it! She was going to get mad at him and he was going to be punished again! She was going to punish him and he was going to have to sit in the closet like before, alone and in the dark and–!

A small sound made him flinch, staring with wide sockets at the human. She was laughing. Not crying or screaming or even glaring at him. She was just leaning against the counter, holding her bowl tightly in one hand and…laughing. Paris almost couldn’t believe it. He was still too scared to move. 

“I-I’m so s-sorry!” Mallory wheezed between bouts of laughter. “Th-That…that was so…so cute!” 

The tall one, Honey, chuckled and shrugged. “Tough crowd.”

“Okay, okay, please stop! No more puns, my sides hurt!” She sighed and struggled to wipe a tear away, rubbing her face against her shoulder with both hands full. “Get to the table before the food gets cold!”

Paris remained stiff even as the others moved to comply. As Blue turned to speak he stopped and looked around in confusion until he spotted Paris standing on the edge of the counter above him. 

“PARIS? WE MADE YOU A PLATE! COME EAT!” 

He couldn’t help it. He was happy that he hadn’t been yelled at, but he was still afraid that he would get punished for his outburst. It didn’t always happen right away, but it would still eventually come. His mama always made sure he was punished when he misbehaved. 

“Hey, kiddo.”

The skeleton jerked and stumbled slightly when a flash of orange appeared at his side. Honey laid a hand on his tense shoulder and motioned towards the table. 

“C’mon. She won’t hurt you and neither will we. You can relax.”

“N-NO…I WAS BAD.” Paris muttered with wide sockets, staring over Honeys shoulder vacantly. “I-I DON’T WANT TO BE PUNISHED AGAIN…”

Honey frowned, looking up to see shock and hurt flash across Mallory’s face before she schooled her expression again. “You aren’t gonna get any sort of punishment, kid. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

When Paris didn’t say anything and remained still, Honey took his hand in his own. Instead of teleporting and scaring the still bitty, he jumped down with him from the countertop and walked slowly over to the table and helped him climb up onto its surface. Once everyone else started eating he was quick to sit and pick up one of the small cheesy squares for himself, watching as the others ate. They didn’t appear to be worried, and Mallory was focused on her own sandwich for him to think that she might take his food away. Paris bit into the bread and hummed as he started chewing, savoring the taste of the creamy cheese and butter. 

“OOH! PARIS! TRY IT THIS WAY!” Blue waved to get his attention from where he sat. 

The beckoned skeleton looked up and watched with interest as Blue tore off a small piece of his grilled cheese and dunked it into the thick soup before stuffing it into his mouth with a pleased groan. 

“IS THAT…GOOD?” Paris questioned, eyeing his own bowl with a mixture of disgust and intrigue. 

“It’s very good, actually.” Mallory replied. 

He watched as she did the same with her own sandwich, dipping an entire side into her bowl before taking multiple bites. Well, if both of them seemed to like it maybe he could try it as well. Just to see if it was truly any good. A quick glance at his sandwich made him decide that he was not nearly brave enough to dunk the whole thing as Mallory had. Instead he tore off a small corner the way that Blue had earlier. He dipped the small piece into his bowl and gave it a hesitant once over, watching as a bit of soup dripped off the bottom. 

“You’re missing out, kiddo.” Honey muttered through his own mouthful.

With one last reserved look at the soaked chunk, Paris popped it into his mouth. In spite of himself, he couldn’t help the groan that escaped him as he started chewing. The cheese was somehow creamier, the taste coming through even stronger against the salty tang of tomato. Paris picked up the rest of his sandwich and began tearing pieces off with gusto, dunking and chewing so quickly that at one point he nearly choked. Before he’d even realized it, the entire sandwich was gone and he was licking his bony fingers. Giggling erupted from his right and he looked up at the human whose hand was covering her mouth as her shoulders shook with laughter. Seeing his stare, she cleared her throat and picked up the plate of grilled cheese sandwiches, offering one to him with a slight tilt of the plate. 

“Do you want another one? We made plenty for seconds and thirds.” She smiled.

“Y-YES, PLEASE!”

Paris took another small square, only taking another piece when he was encouraged by the nice human to do so. As he ate he watched her. She didn’t act like his mama. Didn’t punish or yell or chase. She even gave him warm food! Maybe there were nice humans along with the mean ones too. After all, his Papa was always nice. Always smiling and talking softly. Just like this one. With their same warm eyes that made his soul feel nice. The others at the table continued eating while Paris studied them. They were both clean and appeared well fed. They looked happy enough too. Both had told him that their human was nice and took good care of them. Paris grimaced and was suddenly much more aware of his own appearance. His bones were dull and littered with small cracks and chips from when his mama had kicked or thrown him. He’d always landed on a soft or cushioned surface, but it had still hurt. The others didn’t look like him. 

With a final bite of his small sandwich, Paris resolutely confirmed with himself that he would truly get to know this smiling human. If she was truly good then he would have to find some way to repay her for her kindness. And maybe…maybe he could end up happy too. 

 

~*~

 

Mallory put her car in park, smiling up at the large white building looming over her. That morning she’d been hesitant to put Paris back in his old tattered clothing. He’d slept surprisingly well, sharing a bed with Blue at the smaller bitties insistence. And having made omelets for breakfast, the shy bitty was shockingly open and talkative. In fact, he acted very similar to Blue when she watched them interact. After making a few quick phone calls, Mal had decided that what they needed was a trip to the mall.

“Are you guys ready?”

“YES, MISS MALLORY! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE IS ALWAYS READY FOR ADVENTURE!” Mallory smiled as Blue scaled the front of her jacket quickly, plopping down on her shoulder with a firm grip on a loch of hair to keep himself steady 

“Sure thing, hon.” Honey settled himself into the hood on her jacket, getting comfortable for what was likely to be a long walk. 

Mallory reached a hand over her shoulder and Honey obligingly gripped on of her fingers. “Don’t fall asleep, Honey. I’d like to get new clothes for you too.”

“I WILL MAKE SURE THE LAZYBONES STAYS AWAKE!” Blue offered, turned to narrow his sockets at his brother. Honey simply shrugged in response and pulled his hood over his face.

“Thank you, Blue.” Mallory replied. She turned to look at Paris. He was standing on the arm of the passenger side door, staring up in awe at the building before him. Mal’s heart warmed against at seeing such open reactions. She was glad he wasn’t trying to hold himself back around her. He was still quiet most of the time and he would hesitate, but he actively spoke to her and tried to keep in physical contact with her most of the time if he could. “Paris are you ready to go?”

The bitty in question turned and met her gaze, a wide smile spreading across his face. “YES, MISS MALLORY!”

He hopped down and strode across the console to her lap, watching her hands expectantly. Mal picked him up and held him tucked firmly in the crook of her arm as she stood and exited the car, purse slung carefully over her shoulder.

“ARE WE REALLY HERE FOR NEW CLOTHES?” Blue inquired, peeking through a curtain of hair as they walked inside.

“Yeah. You guys are gonna start needing warmer clothes and Paris needs something of his own to wear. I wanted to get some monster food too.” 

“NO, MISS MALLORY! I DON’T NEED ANYTHING! YOU ALREADY PROVIDE ME WITH FOOD AND A PLACE TO SLEEP!” Paris argued, frowning up at her. He didn’t want to impose more than he already had. He hadn’t found a way to thank her for what she’d already done!

“It’s okay, Paris. You may not think you need it, but I do. We’ll just say that this will be a little present from me to you.” Mallory replied, already turning and entering the clothing and accessories store she’d bought from when she’d first picked up Blue and Honey.

The brunette headed over to a small rack in the corner, noticing they’d started putting out their winter collection. 

“We definitely need coats. We might as well get hats, gloves, and boots while we’re at it. Oh! And maybe a jacket or sweatshirt! What colors do you guys want?”

“OOH! BLUE! LIKE MY NAME!”

“Doesn’t matter. Surprise me, hon.”

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD LIKE RED, PLEASE!”

Mallory immediately brightened hearing Paris give his own input. She didn’t miss the way he ducked his and tensed though. Baby steps. He would get there eventually. She was already thrilled that Blue and Honey were helping him start to come out of his shell. “Sounds good! Blue for the Magnificent Blue, red for the Great Papyrus, and we’ll get rainbow for Honey because he can’t seem to choose!”

“Wh-?! Wait, no! No rainbows!” Came the sudden panicked jumble of words from her hood. “I’ll choose! I’ll choose!”

Mallory and the others laughed as he scrambled up out of her hood and took a seat on her free shoulder. Honey never seemed to be picky about the colors of his things, though he would pick the occasional odd color that didn’t match his usual style. Rainbows he seemed to avoid though. Mal had noticed that he would stare at one of her more colorful paintings with an odd expression before making a point to avoid looking at it for the rest of the day. When she asked him about it he’d said that they confused him, and that the jumble of colors was too bright and messy for his taste. Blue had overheard and used it occasionally to ruffle the usually calm skeleton. It certainly did the trick and never failed to make her laugh. 

The brunette took her time, pulling items off shelves here and there when something would catch their eye. In the end she ended up getting them each three more pairs of shirts and pants. They each got a winter coat with hats, gloves, and boots. And they all got a new pair of shoes. Honey got a white and orange striped sweatshirt, Blue got a teal turtleneck sweater, and she made sure to grab the ruby red scarf that Paris had been eyeing but was too afraid to ask for. All in all, her and her boys were all quite happy with their purchases. Luckily, bitty clothing was cheap given how little fabric it took to make them.

“Alright, next step is Dr. Dana.” Mallory chirped excitedly, adjusting her grip on the rail of her cart.

“You think we need to see the doc again?” Honey asked. His sockets narrowed when he noticed the area of the mall they were approaching. 

“I’d at least like to make sure you’re okay, Honey. That mark on your skull faded quite a bit but it’s not gone yet. I also wanted her to check you out too, Paris. Just to make sure you’re doing alright.”

Honey grimaced, unable to hide his distaste at the idea. He hated being stared and poked at by strangers. It reminded him too much of being back at the bitty store. He’d get through it if it meant that Mal wouldn’t worry though. 

“Come on, just humor me for a little while. Please?” She reached up and gave his skull a small tap with the pad of her finger. He retaliated by swatting it away but returned her smile. 

Paris on the other hand looked almost panicked at the idea. His mama had always told him that doctors were terrible and he should never go near one. That they were wicked and had tools that would hurt him. Maybe even dust him. The thought sent shivers up his spine, causing his bones to rattle as his soul constricted in his chest painfully. He didn’t want to go. But Miss Mallory was nice and Blue had said that she wouldn’t let anything happen to them. That meant she wouldn’t let anything happen to him either…right?

Mallory strolled through the glass double doors that the boys recognized right away. A young blonde woman sat behind the front desk, her fingers flying gracefully over her keyboard. When Mal walked up to the desk the girl smiled and turned to face her, waiting patiently for her to speak.

“Hello, I’m here to see Dr. Dana. I called her this morning.”

“Okay, let me just page her for you. If you’d like to take a seat, it’ll just take a moment.” The receptionist smiled sweetly and motioned towards the large maroon chairs in the corner. 

Mallory thanked the young woman and took a seat, taking a moment to look around. Apparently, Dana had her company buy out the location of the bitty store once it was closed down so she could set up a small medical office for bitties specifically. The interior was painted cream and maroon, all the accents remaining dark brown and giving the place an overall feeling of warmth that was comforting and calming. She noticed Honey looking around the same way she was and smiled when he relaxed on her shoulder. Blue was happily chattering away on her other side, mostly about how much he liked Dana but some of it was about the various pictures and stencils on the walls. Paris remained quiet in her arms, opting to look around the waiting room instead. He seemed tense, but perhaps that was just because this was their first outing and the mall was new to the shy bitty. 

The brunette opened her mouth to ask the tense bitty if he was okay but was stopped by a large brown paw on her shoulder. Mal looked up and was met with familiar warm brown  
eyes surrounded by dark fur. 

“Hello, Miss Hathaway.” The bear monster smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Mallory smiled in return, standing to properly greet her. “Hi, Dana. It’s nice to see you too. The new office looks great.”

“Thank you, dear.” Her gaze travelled to the bitties and she offered them each a small wave in greeting. “Hello again boys.”

“HELLO MISS DANA!” Blue beamed Mal’s shoulder. “WE CAME TO BUY CLOTHES TODAY! MISS MALLORY WANTED TO GET US WINTER COATS!”

“That sounds lovely! Are you enjoying your trip?”

“VERY MUCH! OUR HUMAN LET US PICK THEM OUT OURSELVES!”

Dana’s attention flicked to Honey, eyes trailing over him closely. “Hello, dear. How have you been feeling?”

Honey’s hand went up to the faded bruise on the side of his skull. He forgot about it most days, but it sometimes ached when he slept on it. “Alright.”

“No headaches or pain? Nausea? Any trouble sleeping?” She asked.

Honey shook his head, meeting her gaze evenly but with no expression. Mal could tell he was uncomfortable, but it was important that he was healthy and had no complications from the brutal strike. She would make it up to them all later tonight. 

“That’s good. Sounds like there were no serious side effects of the injury then.” Dana nodded. She must have also noticed his discomfort because she moved on smoothly, turning her attention to the tense bitty in Mallory’s arms. “And how about you? Mallory said your name was Paris.”

The bitty in question tensed further and his grip on Mallory’s hand tightened where it was settled in front of him on her lap. A small nod was her only reply. 

“Can you tell me a bit about yourself?”

At this he quickly sook his head and pulled his knees up to his ribs. He hoped Miss Mallory would not remove her arm. It helped him feel safer with the strange monster sitting across from them. It helped him feel grounded.

“Okay, that’s alright. Would you mind holding something for me instead?” She pulled a small metal cylinder from her pocket. It almost looked like a pill except for the small red LED light on the top that blinked as she held it. Paris looked uncertain but didn’t outright refuse the request. 

Mallory took the offered tool and held it closer for him. Maybe he would feel more comfortable taking it from her instead. His sockets met her eyes, full of trepidation and uncertainty. “It’s okay. You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to. If you would rather not then you can just tell me. We won’t make you do anything you’re not comfortable doing. Right, Dana?”

“Of course. If not then we can certainly try something else. Even just talk if you’d like.” The bear monster responded evenly, waiting patiently with her hands folded in her lap. 

Paris looked between the two and back to the small object being offered to him. “It…it won’t hurt me?”

“Not at all, sweetie. All it does is tell my computer here how healthy you are. It’s called a sensor and all it does it take measurements and outputs of your magic.” Dana answered. She pulled a small laptop out of her bag and opened it, turning the screen so that Paris could lean forward to see the charts and tables displayed on the bright screen. “Everything will show up here. Would you like to see it too?” 

“…OKAY.”

He slowly reached out, running his small nicked phalanges over the smooth surface as if making sure what they said was true. After deliberating for a moment longer he picked up the small sensor and held it loosely in his lap. Dana turned to the monitor and Mallory watched as lines and numbers jumped across the screen in sequence. None of the charts made any sense to her but from the look on the kind monsters face she could deduce that it wasn’t all good.

“Is…everything okay?” It was difficult to mask the worry in her voice but she tried not to let it bleed through too much. If she sounded off the one or all of her bitties were sure to panic, and that was something she would rather avoid. 

“His magic levels are good. Bone density could be better, but it’s not too bad. His soul is strong but the resonance is very unstable.”

Medical babble, especially about monsters, usually went right over her head. Turns out this was no different. But the term ‘unstable’ she was familiar with and that definitely worried her. From what little she did know a monster’s soul was incredibly important and was similar to a human heart. If something happened to it then it was game over. “Is there anything I can do to help that?”

“I can give you supplements to help strengthen his bones and heal the small cracks and scuffs. It’s heavily dependent upon magic but highly versatile. It can be crushed into powder and mixed with monster food or you can dissolve it in warm water and have him soak in it like a bath for little bit. He should only need to take it three times a week for the next three weeks. Plenty of monster food will help immensely, for him and Honey both.” The bear monster paused, frowning and narrowing her dark eyes at the screen. “As far as the resonance though…”

Dana looked anxiously between Paris and Mallory. She’d seen bitties in much worse condition, but it was still difficult to discuss with fosters or caretakers sometimes. Mallory noticed her hesitation and stiffened. 

“Hey, Blue? Why don’t you and Paris check out some of the clothes we got today? Make sure they fit well before we leave so we can go and exchange them if we need to?” 

“WORRY NOT! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE IS ON THE CASE! COME, PARIS! WE HAVE A MISSION TO COMPLETE!” Blue crowed with excitement. He loved any chance he got to help Mallory with anything, even cleaning. This was nothing compared to the great deeds he’d done for his human!

Paris nodded quickly and carefully put the small tool in the palm of Mallory’s waiting hand and eagerly scrambled out of her lap to follow his short companion. He was thankful for the opportunity to distance himself from the strange monster woman. He stopped however when Mallory’s fingers gave his arm a gentle brush. Her hands were warm and stayed light in their touch against his bones. He was so used to the sting of nails and rings biting into their surface that the almost feather light touch made his head swim. Paris vaguely wondered if this was how Blue and Honey felt when they received the small affectionate touches. 

“Thank you. I know it wasn’t easy for you, but you did great. I’m very proud of you.” The brunette cooed lightly. 

The small bitties breath hitched and he could feel his soul pulse and flutter within the cage of his ribs. His papa had always said nice things to him and they always made him feel happy, but not in the way it affected his soul now. When she removed her hand, he resisted the urge to grab it and keep it there, mourning the loss of the affection and warmth it brought him. Regaining his previous demeanor, Paris couldn’t stop the wide smile that stretched across his face. 

Mallory returned his smile, chuckling when Blue impatiently urged him on to complete their mission. The slight weight on her shoulder shifted, bringing her attention to Honey. “Honey, you can go with them if you’d like.”

The skeleton shrugged, leaning against her neck and closing his sockets. “I’m good right here, hon.” 

She smiled and absently brought her hand up, to which he eagerly held her fingers as he dozed.

“It seems they’ve grown attached to you rather quickly.”

The brunette looked up to meet the gaze of the smiling monster, returning the smile with a sheepish one of her own. “They’re not the only ones. Honestly, I can’t imagine my life without them anymore. And Paris…well, he’s just so much like Blue when he opens up.”

“Actually, I wanted to bring that up to you. Paris is a Papy-type bitty and are very similar to Baby Blues. It’s very unusual for them to be so quiet and timid. The condition of his bones and the resonance of his soul worries me. I’ve seen much worse, but his overall state and behavior correspond to bitties who have undergone abuse or neglect.”

Mallory felt her heart sink as Dana continued. It had crossed her mind every time she’d looked at Paris, but she didn’t want to believe it. She’d wished so hard that there would be another reason or explanation, anything but that. Evidently there was only so much that wishing could get you. 

“I would normally recommend leaving him here to begin socializing him and start him in therapy, but it appears that he may be better off in your care.”

Mal blinked, slightly caught off guard by her words. Not that she would ever want to leave Paris – quite the opposite actually – but how was she better suited for this than a trained professional? “He is?”

Dana turned her monitor more towards Mallory, a furry finger pointing to one of the graphs. A single uneven and squiggly line was following along the bottom of what appeared to be a standard line graph. Towards the end was a small spike in the line that rose and fell sharply before evening out again. “This represents a measurement of Paris’ soul resonance. Most bitties who haven’t been adopted are kept together in groups to keep it from dropping to dangerous levels until they are given to a caretaker. If the resonance drops too low then the soul gives out and shatters, effectively dusting the bitty. This is one of the main reasons that bitties are so dependent on others for survival. They require social interaction and a larger stronger soul to resonate with in order to sustain themselves. Now, Paris’ level should be about…here.” She states and pointed several levels higher on the graph than where the line was. “I would say his previous caretaker was abusive or neglectful if his levels are this low.”

Stars, no wonder the poor guy had been so scared and shy the whole time. His so-called ‘Mama’ had called his horrible names and had apparently dealt punishments at her own discretion. Most likely for nothing more than getting overly excited.

Dana pulled her from her thoughts once more as she pointed to the spike in the line. “This spike here is from when you made physical contact with Paris a few minutes ago. The sensor was still on and able to register the small boost because he was still in close proximity to it and it kept reading his magic levels. That one small gesture was enough momentarily stabilize his soul. This is why I believe he’ll recover much quicker in your care. Take him home, continue what you’ve been doing, and make sure he has plenty of physical interaction with yourself and the brothers. If they’ll be comfortable with it, that is.”

Mallory didn’t think it would be a problem. If physical affection and encouragement would help him then she could absolutely do that. Blue was already quite taken with the other. They’d been almost inseparable since yesterday. “What do you think, Honey?”

The skeletons grip faltered for a moment and he sat up, looking for all the world like he wasn’t expecting her to ask him about his opinion on the situation at all. “Wha…me?”

“Well, yeah. It’s your house too. This is a decision that’s going to affect all of us. I already know that Blue adored Paris and would be more than willing to let him stay with us. But what about you? How do you feel about all this?”

“Well…” Honey deliberated, glancing back at the other bitty chattering away while dipping through bags with his brother. There wasn’t any harm in it. The kid got along with Blue just fine too. As long as his brother was safe he was okay with it. “Yeah, I don’t mind. I guess we can share you.”

Honey smirked as her mouth hung open and her cheeks slowly started turning red. Suffice to say, he’d have to say things like that more often if this was her reaction. Maybe he could make her glow like Blue sometimes did when he was embarrassed. Before she could reply, Paris and Blue were back and clambering into her lap, calling for her attention. 

“HUMAN! BEHOLD!” Blue puffed his chest out proudly. “OUR MISSION IS COMPLETE! ALL IS WELL AND WE ARE PREPARED TO LEAVE!”

“AND WE ORGANIZED EVERYTHING SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO LATER!” Paris beamed. His voice was slightly muffled by the red scarf he’d attempted to wrap around his neck. 

Sure enough, the cart she’d left against the wall was very obviously organized and straightened up from the mess it had been before with all the bags she’d haphazardly thrown earlier. Mal was actually impressed they’d been able to sort through the mangled pile so quickly. 

“Wow, that looks great you guys! Thank you!”

Mallory gave a light stroke of her fingers against the side of Blue’s skull. The shorter bitty nuzzled into her hand and eagerly latched onto a finger with a soft ‘mweh heh’. Paris stared up at her almost expectantly with sockets full of…hope? Her other hand came down, giving his skull the same gently treatment. Paris melted against her hand and she felt warmth bloom in her chest, pleased that he didn’t look uncomfortable in the small clinic anymore. At least she hoped he didn’t. 

“Miss Hathaway?”

Mallory jumped and found Dana now standing before her, a small white paper back held in her outstretched paw.

“Oh! Uh…” She looked down at the two bitties still holding onto her hands and floundered for what to do. Neither one of them seemed inclined to let go anytime soon.

“No worries, hon. I got this.” Honey reached out and Dana obligingly handed over the small parcel. “We ready to bag this up?”

“I THOUGHT WE WERE FREE OF YOUR PUNS!!” Blue wailed. He released Mallory’s hand in favor of flailing his own in a show of adorable distaste.

“Come on, Blue. A little bitty joke never hurt anyone.” Mallory smirked.

“I guess I did fall kind of short.” 

“You can’t always measure up to everyone’s standards, Honey. Don’t let it get you down.”

“Does that mean I can expect you to lift my spirits?” 

“Of course! I think quite highly of you!” 

Paris stomped his small foot, hands perched haughtily on his hip bones. “MISS MALLORY!”

The brunette giggled and relented. “Okay! I’m sorry!”

“IF YOU TWO ARE QUITE FINISHED!” Blue chastised with a grimace. “WE STILL NEED GROCERIES! AND FOOD IS A HIGH PRIORITY ON OUR TO-DO LIST FOR TODAY!” 

Paris looked aghast as Blue’s words registered. Honey and Mallory immediately shared a look and grinned at the oblivious skeleton. He frowned and whipped his head between each of them, confusion warping his features.

“WHAT? DID I SAY SOMETHING ODD?” The short bitty mulled it over before his expression turned from confusion into one of horror. “NOOO-HO-HO! I ADDED TO THE PUN! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE HAS SHAMED HIMSELF!”

“I’m so proud! Our little Blue made a pun all by himself!” Mallory gushed, turning to his laughing brother. “Shall we celebrate with a comedy movie tonight?”

Before he could reply, the other two bitties were shouting protests and wailing with despair. Still smiling at their antics, Mallory thanked Dana and grabbed her cart, listening to their bickering the rest of the trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paris is slowly becoming scream-inducing adorable! I love love LOVE writing in his point of view! Not only do I get the feely angst and tears, but I get the adorable mindset too! 
> 
> Also, I was thinking that maybe Paris wouldn't have the typical battle body that classic Papy bitties wear! I was imaging him wearing different outfits and different styles, but maybe keeping the scarf on at all times no matter what he wears! Not only because it's a very obvious Papy signature article of clothing, but because it was the first that was ever bought for him. :) Paris' Mama didn't buy him things, the only clothes and items he had were what he brought with him from the adoption center he was purchased from. So the scarf from today's shopping trip was his first ever gift!


	9. The Illusion of Safety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those words from the kidnapper at the mall start to come back to haunt Mallory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My God, it's been so long since I update this! It's almost 2 AM and I have class and a huge test in the morning but I was so caught up in writing and wanting to get this finished and posted! Please forgive me for my long absences and inability to update regularly!!

“Come on, bro. I said I was sorry.” Honey chuckled.

He and Blue rode on either of Mallory’s shoulders while Paris was content to peek out of her hood so she could carry all of the bags they’d accumulated from an entire day of shopping. 

Blue huffed, sockets narrowing and cheeks puffing in irritation as he took in the clearly unapologetic look on his brother’s face. “SORRY MEANS YOU REGRET THE ACT THAT CAUSED YOU TO APOLOGIZE TO BEGIN WITH. YOU AND I BOTH KNOW YOU REGRET NOTHING!”

“Not true, bro. I regret missing the opportunity to make some really great car jokes on the ride here. You know how much those rev me up.”

“HUMAN, PLEASE MAKE HIM STOP!”

Mallory laughed and Honey smirked, knowing that his human enjoyed his puns too much to actually agree with the anguished request.

“PLEASE, HONEY! YOU DIDN’T EVEN STOP THE WHOLE RIDE HERE!” Paris grimaced, draping himself morosely as much as he could over the curve of Mallory’s shoulder nearest to Blue. “MERCY!”

“Alright, alright. No need to–.”

The orange clad bitty grunted when Mallory suddenly stopped short, nearly stumbling off her shoulder. If he hadn’t been holding her hair he might have actually toppled forward into one of their shopping bags at the unexpected movement. 

Blue stumbled too, holding tightly to his own loch of hair as he looked up at her in confusion. “HUMAN? WHY HAVE WE STOPPED?”

Mallory didn’t answer. Honey frowned, confusion quickly morphing into concern as he caught her wide eyes staring straight forward and the color quickly drained from her face. He could feel her thundering pulse beneath his hand where it rested against her neck. 

“M…MISS MALLORY?”

The brunette blinked, eyes coming back into focus as she dropped their bags onto the floor of the hallway. She payed the fallen items to concern as the bags toppled over from their sudden drop. She carefully lifted Blue off her shoulder, reaching for Paris with the other hand.

“Honey, stay out here with the boys . Don’t follow me into the apartment until I call for you or I come and get you.”

The bitty blinked in shocked confusion, following her ever steady gaze to the door of their home and felt his magic spike in response to what he saw. The apartment door was wide open. From what little he could see through the gap he could tell it was trashed. From this angle it was obvious the couch had been pulled away from the wall and kitchen chair was toppled over on its side. What looked like garbage and paper was strewn across the floor. The door jamb itself was splintered and hanging off the wall.

“Mal, no! You can’t go in there alone!” Honey hissed quietly through clenched teeth. “What if someone’s still in there?”

Despite his insistence and the grip he tried to keep on her hand, Mallory sat him down on top of the bags next to his brother and Paris.

“HE IS RIGHT! YOU COULD BE ATTACKED! WE SHOULD ALL GO TOGETHER!” Blue insisted. He puffed out his chest, but Honey could sense the fear and uncertainty as his brother kept sockets trained on the open door. 

“No.” Mallory said firmly. She pulled out her phone and began dialing. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to take a quick peek and be right back out. But I want you guys safe first. So please, stay here.”

They didn’t want to. They really didn’t want to. Especially when they could feel the fear emitted so heavily from her soul. The look in her eyes was what finally made Honey agree to stay. The fear and worry was as obvious on her face as it was from her soul. However, it wasn’t fear for herself or her own wellbeing. It was for them. For their safety and their wellbeing. 

“Okay. Two minutes and I’m coming in after you though.”

The relief that flooded her face was immediate and bellied any kind of protest Blue was about to start at Honey’s words. They watched as Mallory rushed into the destroyed apartment, silence descending upon the trio as they all listened closely and waited. The other apartments around them were unaffected and silent, leaving the once warm and bright hallway eerie and unsettling. 

“SHOULD WE HAVE LET HER GO ALONE?” Paris muttered nervously. He couldn’t stop his hands from wringing nervously in his scarf. It was too quiet. And waiting made him greatly uncomfortable. The oppressive silence reminded him too much of when he would hide from his Mama. Just listening and waiting.

“I AGREE, BROTHER. PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH HER AFTER ALL.” Blue frowned. 

Honey shook his head, still watching the door intently for any signs of movement. “It’s only been a minute. Besides, if she’s too worried about us then she won’t be able to focus.”

“WHICH IS WHY WE SHOULD BE IN THERE TO ASSIST HER!” His brother argued. He didn’t understand why Honey would let her go without a fight! She was alone and vulnerable! She couldn’t even do magic! They should have gone with her to watch her back!

Before Honey could respond Mallory was already walking out the door towards them. They wasted no time running up to her. Blue and Paris reached for her outstretched hands insistently while Honey teleported to her shoulder. All three checked her over frantically for any signs of injury. 

“MISS MALLORY, PLEASE DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT US AGAIN! WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU!” Paris cried. His sockets were wide and shining magic. His anxiety made it difficult to control and it threatened to overflow. 

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” She brushed her lips over the top of his skull in an apologetic kiss. “The apartment is empty. I called the police so hopefully they’ll be here soon.”

And they were. Not even 10 minutes had passed before uniformed officers were ascending the stairs with notepads and cameras in hand. They’d questioned Mallory and logged everything she said. Did she know anyone that might have wanted to scare her? Anyone that she didn’t get along with? Was anything of value taken? The questions seemed endless. They did seem interested when Blue mentioned Mal’s falling out with Daniel and why though. 

“How long since you were last contacted by Mr. Sheffield?” One of the officers, Mannings according to his badge, asked her with a frown. 

“I answered a call from him this morning. I’ve had a couple calls that I declined since then, but they were hours ago.” Mallory responded. “Why? I don’t think he had anything to do with this, if that’s why you’re asking. I knew him for years. He’s the type to get drunk and wallow for days, maybe miss some work, but nothing like this. Certainly not spiteful enough to break in and trash my apartment.”

Officer Mannings continued to scribble in his notepad. “Drunk people can be unpredictable at times Mrs. Hathaway. I’m not saying that you don’t know your friend, just stating a fact. And it is our job to follow up on any kind of possible leads, even if they turn out to be a dead end.”

“Lead?” Mallory asked, brows pinching together in confusion. “Sorry, but is that really necessary for a break in? Nothing was even taken. Just some painting ripped up and thrown around and furniture pushed around.”

Both officers shared a look before the other officer, Payton, closed his notebook and put it in his pocket. “There have been a string of break ins in the last week, in this area in particular. Nothing stolen or broken, just stuff thrown around. We’re in the process of an investigation.”

“Jesus…” Mal sighed and rubbed a hand tiredly over her face. “Okay. What do I need to do now?”

“Get ahold of your landlord. The door and lock will need to be replaced. I’d recommend staying with a family member or a friend until that can be done. Lock anything up if you can until then too.” 

“Sir? I think you’ll want to take a look at this.”

Another officer that had been scoping the apartment walked up to Mannings with a folded piece of paper. The frowning officer took the offered paper and opened it up, his usual frown deepening. 

“Mrs. Hathaway, are you absolutely sure you can’t think of anyone who might want to cause you harm for any reason?”

The brunette frowned, shaking her head again. “No, not that I can think of.”

“Then you don’t know what this means?”

He handed her the note with a raised brow, watching her intently as she read. Honey leaned forward from his perch on her shoulder, sockets narrowing as he read the mess of scribbled black sharpie.

**Next time we’ll make sure you’re home. You know what to do.**

Honey’s magic, which had been burning actively since they saw the open apartment door, all but completely dissipated as dread and guilt overwhelmed him. Their human had been targeted. Because of them. While it didn’t say that that was the reason, he knew. It was their fault. Someone was gonna hurt her all because she took them in. 

“Mrs. Hathaway?”

The shoulder beneath him tensed as Mal handed the note back to Mannings. “O-Oh. Um…I don’t who could be responsible. But I guess now I know why.” She stammered. “The day I adopted my bitties, the store had been shut down. Someone said they were involved in bitty rings? But I ended up stopping someone who was trying to kidnap them in all the confusion. He told me at the time that I didn’t know who I was dealing with, and I would regret getting in the way.”

“I see. If I remember correctly, he was caught that same day. Did you give a statement to the officer in charge that day?”

“Yes, they questioned me then too. And a friend of mine. Prue Stevens. I told them everything I could at the time.” She replied with a curt nod. “I didn’t think anything of it since they caught him.”

Mannings pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a sigh. “Well, this complicates things. Bitty rings, especially local ones, are often run by big time criminals as a means of making additional income. They usually involve drugs, weapons, and trafficking. Lately though, its been bitty fights. The guy they caught was probably just a runner, someone they pay to steal or pick up stray bitties. If these people are involved I would recommend you stay with a friend or get a hotel room. At least for the next week or so.”

Mallory shook her head lightly and chewed on her lip nervously. “I don’t have money for that sort of thing. I’d been planning a trip to see my aunt, but I suppose I could go there a few weeks early. She lives in Tennessee.”

“Whatever you can do. Just don’t stay here for the time being. In the meantime, we’ll follow up with Mr. Sheffield and do some digging around.” Officer Mannings gave her a firm handshake and a curt nod towards his waiting officers. “Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll be in touch.”

Mallory thanked each officer as they walked out, closing the door firmly behind them and rested her forehead against the smooth wood. So much for their calm afternoon…looks like she needed to make some phone calls. Jesus, of all the things that could’ve happened, she wasn’t expecting this. Were these criminals so desperate that they might attack her for the sake of using her boys in illegal fights?

“H…HUMAN?”

Mallory turned and lowered her gaze to find Blue and Paris shuffling anxiously at her feet. Paris looked on the verge of tears of tears. The brunette could have slapped herself. Crap, poor Paris had only been here for a couple days. She couldn’t imagine how worried and scared her own boys were, and now the poor abused addition to their little family was going to probably have it worse considering what he’d already had to go through. She knelt down and smiled as they both clambered up into her lap, eagerly accepting her hands with affectionate nuzzles. 

“I’m so sorry guys.” She muttered, clearly her throat quietly when her voice threatened to crack. “How about I make us some lunch? I bet you guys are hungry.”

Blue and Paris both looked at eachother with equal sullen expressions. Now that just wouldn’t do. With started yelps, they were lifted into the air and assaulted with a barrage of wet kisses and attempted raspberries. Blue shrieked at the sudden onslaught of embarrassing affection and struggled against her grasp. His face glowed bright cyan as he pushed against her lips uselessly.

“HUMAN! PLEASE CEASE YOUR EMBARRASSING DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION!” He cried.

Paris, who had been startled at first, was pleased with the attention. Instead of struggling he squealed with delight and did his best to reciprocate with his own small skeleton kisses, pressing his teeth to whatever fleshy surface of her face he could reach. He relished the soft gentle touches bestowed by the nice human, almost starved for it from having gone without for so long. 

“Alright alright, I’m done.” Mallory chuckled, relenting her assault and standing with them both held close to her chest. She started towards the kitchen, mentally going over what was in the fridge and what they’d bought while they were out earlier that morning. Mal couldn’t help but wince as she stared at some of her broken dishes and torn and destroyed pictures littering the floor. She pointedly ignored the mess. Cleaning could wait until after her bitties were full and happy. “So, what do we feel like eating today?”

“EVERYTHING YOU MAKE IS DELICIOUS, MISS MALLORY!” Paris chirped happily from her arms.

“I couldn’t do it without my two amazing assistants!”

Both bitties flushed the colors of their magic and beamed happily at the compliment. From where he stood on her shoulder, Honey finally cracked a small smile. He knew how much the break in had upset her, especially after seeing the note. Mal’s shoulders had been tense and hunched the entire time, even now not relaxing. He was amazed that she could smile and play it off, and grateful that she was so quick to reassure and distract the others. Honey knew what a kind and big hearted human Mallory was the day she brought them home, and yet her actions always managed to surprise him. 

“Just two? Now that hurts, hon.” He leaned against her neck, arm draped dramatically over his face.

“What?! Oh! N-No, I didn’t –!”

“BROTHER, YOU HARDLY DO ANYTHING! MUCH LESS ASSIST WITH COOKING OR CHORES! WHAT WOULD YOU BE AN ASSISTANT OF?” Blue piped up, interrupting Mal’s stuttering apologies. 

Honey shrugged. “Moral support?”

The orange clad bitty shrugged and gave the brunette a wink. She chuckled and rolled her eyes, setting him on the kitchen counter with a gently stroke against his skull. 

“Okay! I declare tonight spaghetti night!”

“SPAGHETTI!” Paris cheered and ran circles around the other two. 

Dinner was rather quick and eaten just as quickly as it was made. While she cleaned, Mallory go to work on making her phone calls. The apartment manager had been informed when the police arrived, but Mal had gone more into detail. The phone call ended with a promise to replace the door and a deadbolt to be installed. Next she called Prue, who was a complete mess by the time Mallory finished recounting their afternoon. The blonde had wanted to come over right away, but she’d brushed it off immediately and told her that she was going to book a hotel room for the night and she would be safe. Razz had thrown a fit and made multiple threats of murderous intent over the phone regarding her would-be attackers that made her smile so wide that her face started to hurt. She’d have to bring them back a pie from her aunts as a thank you.

“MISS MALLORY?”

Mallory hung up the phone and looked down to find Paris tugging on her pantleg, a nervous expression on his face. She immediately knelt and pulled him into her arms, smiling when he nuzzled into her shirt. “Hey. Did you get all your things ready to leave?”

He nodded and looked up at her with wide sockets. “BLUE SAYS WE’RE GOING TO BE STAYING SOMEWHERE WITH OTHER HUMANS TONIGHT.”

“Well, we’ll have our own room, but other rooms will be full of people. Then we’re going to go on a plane and stay with my family for a little bit.” She amended. 

“THEN WE’RE COMING BACK HOME…RIGHT?” He asked, lowering his head. “ALL OF US?”

“Well yeah, of course. I’m not going to leave you guys. Home wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Paris turned in her arms, his shoulders rising to be level with his jaw as he remained silent. Mal grimaced, realizing the error in her words almost as soon as she said them. He’d been abandoned once already. With all the commotion and then ending up leaving maybe he thought he was going to be left again. And then with the note they found too…

“Hey.” She covered his back with her hand, rubbing small circles with her finger. “We’re all going together and we’re all coming back together. No one is leaving without anyone. I promise.”

Paris smiled, though Mallory could tell it wasn’t genuine. His fear would likely be there until they made it back home safely. But there was still something she could do to help. 

“Alright. I’ll strike a deal with you.” She started. A silver ring with a large pale blue stone and small diamond accents was pulled from her finger and presented to the bitty. “This ring belonged to my mom. It was given to me before she died when I was really young, and it’s very special to me. So, this ring will represent my promise. You take it and keep it and give it back to me when we’re all back home again.”

His sockets widened as he took the ring with both hands, looking up at Mallory with confusion. “B-BUT THIS IS SPECIAL TO YOU! WHY WOULD YOU LET ME HOLD ONTO THIS?”

The brunette shrugged. “Because I trust you. And I want you to trust me too. Paris, when I make a promise I intend to keep it.”

The small skeleton stared at the ring, running his phalanges over the small stone and carved lines. “THANK YOU, MISS MALLORY, BUT I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS.”

Mallory watched in confusion as he gently sat the ring back into her hand and frowned. “Why not?”

“YOU WOULD TRUST ME ENOUGH TO CARRY SUCH A PRECIOUS OBJECT FOR YOU, BUT I KNOW YOU DO IT SO I WILL BE COMFORTABLE. THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANT.” Paris looked up at her with determination, steeling himself and his nerve. “I MAY BE NERVOUS, AND I MAY BE SCARED, BUT I TRUST YOU! I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT I CAN TRUST YOU WITHOUT A CRUTCH!”

The young woman blinked in surprise, shocked by the bitties sudden bout of confidence. But as his words registered in her mind she felt her own anxiety waning. He finally trusted her. He wasn’t scared of her anymore but was scared she would leave him like everyone else had. Paris squeaked as she picked him up and planted a smooth on the top of his skull.

“You are so brave.” She praised, standing and making her way towards the bedroom. “Come on. Let’s check on everything and get going. If we’re lucky the hotel might have a pool!”

Mallory was determined to make this trip great for them. It was time they forgot about all the bad and got the chance to relax and spend some quality time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh I fall in love with my little bits all over again whenever I write about them! <3 Paris is starting to unravel a bit more and open up!


	10. Lingering Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The memories of Mama resurface due to all the stress and havoc happening around Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is kind of short, but it goes into more detail about Paris' Mama in the form of a nightmare. Paris tends to sleep heavily but what with all the stress happening and the sudden upheaval from his new home, those memories come back to haunt him while he's vulnerable.

She was coming home. He could tell when she was here from the heavy sound her feet made when would stomp up the stairs to the front door. The house was big but it was empty. Sound traveled and echoed all over the house, even the small noises. That was one of the things he hated about the house. No matter how much he hid from her when she was in a bad mood, even if she couldn’t find him her voice and footsteps could. He could never tell where she was and was always scared. He was too scared to relax and try to sleep until after he knew she’d already gone to bed. 

“Where are you?! Little shit…”

Paris flinched and curled into himself tighter within his hiding place. He was in trouble if he got caught. He wasn’t in his usual hiding place. There were holes everywhere and loose boards and cracks that he was small enough to squeeze through and hide in the walls and vents. She would tear apart the whole house looking for him, but since he started climbing around the gaps in the vents and ducts she hadn’t found him for a while now. Not today though. He’d gone looking for something to eat and was stick in the cupboard, his escape route to the Livingroom vent cut off by the screaming woman stumbling into the kitchen. He could see through the gap in the cupboard doors. Her heels skid and slipped across the linoleum with a grating sound that sent uncomfortable chills through his bones. 

“You better get out here! Take your…your punishment like a good boy!” After a small tense moment of silence. “NOW, DAMMIT!”

Mama started looking around the counters and under the kitchen table, the scowl on her face getting more severe the more she searched.

“It’s all your fault! All your fault! If he hadn’t brought you home…he’d still be…I can’t…”

Paris held his hands over his skull, trying to tune out her words even as he still listened. It wasn’t his fault! Papa told him before he left that nothing was his fault! Still, he couldn’t stop the tears from starting to form and fall down his cheekbones. He tried! He tried to be good! The first few times Mama came home sad and smelling like her sour drinks he’d tried to climb into her lap and comfort her! It always worked before! But then after Papa left…he shuddered, a hand travelling up his tattered shirt to rest over where one of his ribs used to be. The ghostly sensation of feeling hollow magic where bone once was made him nauseous. 

Mama started to pick apart the cabinets, pulling things out and dropping them to the floor all while slurring insults and swears. She was on the other side of the fridge in the wall cabinets. If he was quiet then he could make a run for it to the floor vent. If he stayed where he was then there was no doubt that she would eventually find him, and his punishment for hiding from her for so long would definitely be severe. When a dish fell and shattered, he slid out of the small door and shuffled quickly across the floor. He tried to keep his Mama within sight and step around the food and dishes surrounding him. Almost there. The table was maybe about a foot away. Once he got under it then he could easily dart through the entryway to the kitchen and into the floor vent on the opposite wall. The grate was still pulled open enough to where he could squeeze through quickly. As he took a step a large box clattered on the floor beside him with a loud slap that caused him to squeak in surprise and shock. 

“Found you, you little bastard.”

His soul clenched fearfully and his body locked up as he turned to see dark obsidian eyes boring down at him with a hatred that made him want to dust right then and there. Paris bolted. Tripping over his own feet and the fallen objects around him in near blind panic. Her heels scraped across the floor as she lunged after him. He couldn’t breathe! His soul contracted painfully behind his ribs as his magic flared violently within his frame, reacting to his sudden onset of fear. She couldn’t catch him! If she caught him this time, she would kill him! The vent! He was so close now! Only a little farther! 

White hot pain exploded all over his body as something large and heavy collapsed on top of him. He squirmed and struggled to get free, but the more he moved to escape the worse the pain got. Paris cried out as large fingers blocked his view of the vent and he was lifted into the air, the fingers curling tighter around his body to the point that he could hardly move. 

“Did you really think that I wouldn’t find you?” His Mama’s voice hissed lowly behind his skull, her acrid breath making his magic roil nauseatingly within him. “After all I did to take care of you…to raise you…this is how you replay me?! By hiding and stealing from me?!”

“I’M SORRY! I WAS SO HUNGRY!” He cried, the tears he’d been holding back this whole time didn’t stop as they flowed freely and dripped onto her fingers. “I WAS SCARED! Y-YOU WERE GOING TO HURT ME!”

There was a long pause and the hands clamped over his body relaxed a fraction, but he dared not move. He tried his best to stop the trembling that had taken over him. She didn’t like it when he cried. She didn’t like it when he was scared. But he couldn’t help it! He knew what was about to come! At least with her hands pressed so close to him his bones weren’t rattling this time. He didn’t think he could handle hearing it with everything else so silent. 

“Hurt you? Baby, I’m not hurting you…this…this is what you deserve.” She cooed, voice still slurring. He could hear the watery tone it had taken and knew she was crying again. “But it won’t happen anymore. I promise.”

“YOU…YOU PROMISE?” 

Paris didn’t want to look at her. Didn’t want to see the brief moment of kindness that would sometimes peek through the rage and hatred. He wanted to believe her! He really did! But…she’d promised before. Many times. He yelped when she suddenly started moving, his body jerking sideways into one hand that clamped down painfully on him so that he couldn’t wriggle free. A door opened and he could hear rummaging and items hitting the floor, like she was digging for something. He didn’t realize what she was looking for until he was suddenly free of the suffocating weight of her fingers and dropped into darkness with a grunt. The light above him suddenly went out and his hands scrambled for purchase on the silky fabric surrounding him as he was swung back and forth. A bag. He was in a bag! Looking up, Paris could see that the small puckered opening where the drawstrings were pinched together was getting smaller and smaller the more the bag moved. 

“NO! MAMA, PLEASE! LET ME OUT! I’LL BE GOOD! I WON’T HIDE ANYMORE, I PROMISE!"

“No baby…not this time…” She sniffed as she worked. Another door opened and was slammed closed. He could hear cars and wind whistling through the fabric now. “He made promises too. You’ll break them…just like he did…I’m not going to let you lie to me! I’d see you crumble to dust under my heel before I let a little shit like you deceive me too!”  
Paris flinched and sobbed, curling back in on himself again as the teary tone of her voice turned back to it’s shrill scream. He was being bounced around so hard that he was getting dizzy, but there was nothing for him to grab on to! Everything around him was too smooth and soft to find any purchase! 

“It’ll be quick! I won’t draw it out like what he did to me! No, it’ll be okay! Once you’re gone, he’ll come back for me!” Mama muttered to herself as her heels clicked roughly with her brusque pace. “He’ll see! You caused all the problems! It was your fault! Once I get rid of you, we can be happy again!”

There was a pause and everything stopped moving all at once, throwing him against the far side of the bag with a grunt and a hiss of pain as his wrist bent awkwardly to try to catch himself. 

“M…MAMA?”

“Don’t call me that!!”

The bag was dropped and Paris cried out as his body landed heavily on a hard surface. He must have hit his skull. Everything was blurring and swimming around him and there were dark spots in his vision. Everything hurt. He couldn’t breathe. There was a loud metallic scraping sound that he could register coming from somewhere next to him. He tried to push himself up. If she was doing something else then he could get out! With a grunt he shuffled through the bag on his ribs, phalanges clawing at the silky fabric to pull him towards the narrow opening in the bag. He shoved his hand through the small gap in the fabric and bit back a sob of relief when it gave way enough to let his arm slip through up to his elbow. Where was the string?! His hand made contact with a messy tangle of strings and he felt what little hope he had of escape snuff out. It was all tangled up. He couldn’t undo it. Not from inside the bag.

“PLEASE…PLEASE DON’T…”

“Stop talking, Paris! It’s time to be quiet!” His Mama snarled. 

The bag was picked up again.

“After today, I won’t have to listen to you whine and cry ever again.” Her voice was almost a laugh, bordering on hysterical as she spoke and growing more and more elated with every word. “He’ll come back. I know he will! And you…you’ll be nothing. You’re so small I bet there won’t even be any dust anyway. No one will know.”

“MAMA, STOP! PLEASE! I PROMISE I’LL BE GOOD! I WANT TO GO BACK HOME!”

“This is your home now. With all the rest of the useless trash this city tosses away.”

And then he was falling. A splash. Water coming in through all sides of the bag. It was cold. So so cold. His feet couldn’t find anything, just thrashing around uselessly as they got stuck on the wet fabric. He couldn’t breathe.

“MAMA! MAMA NO! PLEASE!”

But there was nothing. Nothing but the sounds of his hoarse pleads and cries and the sound of rushing water around him.

 

~*~

 

“Paris? Paris! Wake up! PARIS!”

He couldn’t breathe! Everything was too tight! Fingers clamped tightly around him, the wet fabric from the bag clinging to bones! He flung his arms roughly around him, trying to dislodge whatever it was that was clinging to him. 

“Paris, sweetie, stop! It’s okay! Wake up!”

His sockets shot open, breath whistling through his clenched teeth as he started up into a curtain of brown and a pale face with wide eyes. With a start, he shuffled back, kicking off the blanket that was tangled around his legs. Hands came up and grabbed for him and he cried out in panic, swatting them away from him as he struggled to flee. She came back for him! She was going to hurt him again!

“Whoa, pal! Easy there!”

Another smaller set of hands held his arm and pulled him out of the cocoon of fabric and onto a flat surface. 

“PARIS? WHAT IS THE MATTER?”

Voices. He knew those voices. Friends. Blue…and Honey. But why were they here? If Mama caught them then they would be hurt too! Where was his human?! They should be with Miss Mallory! 

“Paris, just breathe! Easy, take a breath! In and out! Listen to me, really slow, in and out.”

No no no, he couldn’t stop! If he stopped then she would find him! Where was the vent?! Why were they telling him to stop?!

“Kid, open your sockets! You’re okay!”

Were his sockets closed? He opened them wide and looked around hastily, keeping his arms out in front of him to ward off the grabbing hands. Honey and Blue stood in front of him with their arms reaching out to him, matching expressions of confusion and worry pinching their features tightly in the low lighting. Where was he? He didn’t recognize the room. The walls were all white and the ceiling was high, covered in stipples of paint surrounding a frosted dome in the center. The air was chilled, like someone left a window open and forgot to close it. Mallory knelt beside the bed he lay on, watching him with scrunched eyebrows and concern swimming in her bright eyes. Mama wasn’t here. They were alone in the small room. It was starting to fall together. The hotel. They were in the human hotel. 

“M…MALLORY?”

“Yeah, sweetie. I’m here.” She spoke quietly, a small smiled tugging at her lips. “Are you okay? You started screaming.”

No. He wasn’t okay. Everything kept coming back! He just wanted to forget about it all! Why did it keep coming back?!

“Paris…”

He looked up again and Mallory was holding her hands out to him, keeping them close to her body and away from him. The hands…they weren’t his Mama’s. They were Mallory’s! He…He’d hit Mallory! Thick wet tears streamed down his cheekbones and he shuffled across the mess of blankets into her waiting hands. He sobbed, brokenly and without restraint, as he held on tightly to her thumb and buried his face in her palm. Her other hand hovered over his back for a moment before gently brushing along his spine, her thumb stroking the back of his skull. 

“I-I’M SO SORRY! I-I D-DIDN’T MEAN-!” He coughed and choked out before hiccups.

“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.” She whispered as she continued to soothe his rattling bones. “You were having a nightmare.”

He shook his head and buried it further into the warmth of her skin, trying to get control of his breathing again and focusing on the steady thrum of her pulse beneath her skin. 

“MALLORY, IS HE ALRIGHT?”

“Just give him a few minutes, Blue.” Came her reply.

“Kid?”

Paris tilted his head to look at the scrutinizing gaze Honey gaze him. He nodded his head and turned back into his humans’ hand. There was a sigh of relief and a light pat on his back before hushed whispers started up from the other bitties. Mallory continued to stroke his back until the worst of his trembling subsided and his bones stropped rattling altogether. He stopped sobbing outright and just sniffled, wiping the tears off his face with the front of his shirt all while keeping a firm grip on Mallory’s finger with his other hand. 

“Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was about?” The brunette asked.

Paris stiffened and kept his head down. Did he really want to tell her about what happened that night? She knew some of it but…not the bad stuff. Would she think any less of him if he told her? She said they were family. That she couldn’t picture her life without him. So that meant she wouldn’t see him as broken and get rid of him too, right? He shook his head and took a shuttering breath. No. Mallory was different. She was nice and took care of him and the others. She was going to give him her most precious ring just so he could feel safe. It would be okay.

“IT…IT WAS ABOUT MAMA…”

The hand on his back paused momentarily before starting up again and he leaned into the contact heavily, suddenly feeling exhausted even though he didn’t think he could fall back asleep again.

“I’m sorry.” Paris looked up in surprise and met Mallory’s gaze. “You shouldn’t have had to go through what you did.”

“IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT MISS MALLORY.” Paris frowned and held her finger tighter.

“The only thing I can do is promise that I won’t let anything like that happen to you again.” She continued. “We’re your family now, Paris. And we won’t let you get hurt again. Not ever.”

The bitty smiled and wiped his sockets again. He was still anxious. He could feel it deep within his soul, a small unsettling buzzing that was almost constant but small enough that it was almost imperceptible in the wake of the pleasant humming that his magic started up when he heard the brunette speak. 

“THANK YOU…”

“OF COURSE, FRIEND! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE WILL PROTECT YOU! AND SO WILL MALLORY!”

Honey chuckled, once again leaning against the hotel pillow. “We’ve got your back, kid. Nothing is gonna happen to you with us around.”

Paris relaxed and fell back against the pillow as well, smiling warmly at his friends. That’s right. He had a new family now. One that actually cared about him. He was safe. Mama wasn’t going to hurt him anymore.

“How about a movie to settle down again? Paris, do you want to pick something?” Mallory asked as she pulled her phone off of the small nightstand and opened up her movie viewing app.

“YES, PLEASE!”

“How about a comedy?” Honey grinned, waiting for the same reaction he got every time.

“NO, NOT AGAIN! BROTHER, WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS TEASE US SO?!”

“THAT’S THE REAL NIGHTMARE!” Paris cried and quickly scrambled up Mallory’s side to the phone, keeping his sockets narrowed on Honey.

The brunette chuckled and they all settled down into the blankets once more, watching as the opening credits started rolling. Paris settled down against his humans’ neck and sighed. He was home. He was safe. One day he wouldn’t have to keep repeating it in his mind to be able to relax. For now, though, he was content as the lingering memories faded in the wake of his soul settling and resting pleasantly among the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It breaks my heart to write these things, but I feel the need to go into more detail about what happened to Paris the day Mallory and the boys found him! Don't hate me, it gets better! I swear!


	11. Temporary Hiatus Over!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick explanation on my sudden disappearance!

Hey, guys! So sorry about my disappearance over the last few months! I've kind of gone through some things and ended up at a low point that took me a bit to dig myself out of! But I'm back now! The temporary hiatus on my stories is over! 

I finished classes that I was taking and I'm taking a break from school for the summer to focus on work and on my writing! My own mother actually graduated from our local college recently, the first one in our family to finish college not only one degree, but two! I'm so proud! I also ended up ending a 4 year relationship recently and all that drama took its toll on me.

Had some issues with work lately where unfortunately it couldn't be avoided and some dogs ended up being euthanized at the animal shelter I work at and it hit me pretty hard. We also went through a period where our sick dogs weren't getting better and a few of them passed away...

In case you guys wanted to know, their names are:

Mac  
Cassie  
Dani  
Dan  
Popeye  
Cody  
Paul  
Nectarine  
Lolli   
Moana  
Rocky  
Zoey  
Elf  
Smalls  
Cassandra  
Ranger  
Caesar  
Freddy  
Milo  
Gunnar  
Zues

I get attached to the dogs I work with fairly quickly that each one of their deaths hit me pretty hard and it all happened so suddenly that I lost the will to write and do a lot of things I enjoyed. Luckily, talking with coworkers and family really helped. Especially since the idea was given to me by a family member to plant a perennial in our front yard for every dog we've lost this year as a way to remember them by and keep their memory alive! 

Whoo! Long winded explanation! Sorry this was kind of long! Anyway, life is starting to get back on track and back to normal and everything seems to be getting a little better every day! Thank you for your patience and I apologize to anyone that looked forward to reading! I will have new chapters ready by this weekend and will try to go back to updating regularly!

I love you all! <3

**Author's Note:**

> And there you go! We have our small introduction! Hope you like it! We got our intro of our few human characters out of the way! Now onto the bitties!


End file.
